| Boring is dead; long live COBRA STARSHIP & OWL CITY. |
| Written by Sarah Mudgway |
| Thursday, 18 March 2010 13:43 |
 Walking into the Auckland Town Hall, I awkwardly looked around me and thought that, perhaps, I had been sent to a Tobias Funke 'Nevernudes' appreciation society meeting... (For those of you with confused looks on your faces, I highly recommend you take a trip to your nearest DVD store and rent 'Arrested Development'). The number of denim cut-offs were incredible - how I missed the memo, I will never know. For those lucky enough to attend the Auckland Cobra Starship show - their first of two New Zealand dates - another animal-esque band 'Owl City' were the opening act. OWL CITY is fronted by small-town boy turned international music-star, Adam Young. With humble beginnings in Owatonna, Minnesota, his number one hit 'Fireflies' threw him into the international spotlight - with immediate comparisons to The Postal Service being thrown around like crazy. Before 'Fireflies' flew onto the mainstream radio and television circuits, Young had adapted and developed his musical talent with a previous studio release 'Maybe I'm Dreaming', as well as participating in a variety of other primarily instrumental bands. It was this behind the scenes work, which really shone through in his 45 minute opening set. His vocals were raw, with the electronic maskings from his recordings stripped away - which in my opinion, showcased a much more talented artist than what 'Ocean Eyes' represents. Opening his set with 'Umbrella Beach' - accompanied by a violin, cello, keyboard, synths and drums, as well as his own guitar - it was easy to be impressed by the huge sound generated from the musicians on stage, who looked to all be around 20 years old. This wasn't the performance of a young guy who was undeservedly pushed into the spotlight - all the years of practicing in his parents' basement were present as he effortlessly and innocently waved his arms around like a bird floating on clouds - while his voice rose above that of the ridiculously loud and high-pitched screams.  During 'The Bird And The Worm' the violinist and cellist took a break from their musical talents and took up the role of back-up dancers. Their moves were suitably innocent, and well matched to the music surrounding them. However, it was Young who really stole the show, as highlighted when the opening bars to 'Fireflies' rang through the speakers. If there was ever a time to sing-a-long, this was the moment that everyone had been waiting for - and the near sold-out audience responded to Young's requests and did just that.  Following up with 'The Technicolor Phase', 'Dental Care', 'Hot Air Balloon', and next single 'Vanilla Twilight' before ending with 'Hello Seattle' - Adam Young seemed adorably innocent when he spoke of how he was incredibly blessed and grateful that his music has taken him to such an appreciative crowd in New Zealand - and the hearts of Kiwi girls in the crowd, had obviously fallen for his charm.  While reviews tend to stray away from commenting on the house music which fills the void between acts, I can't help but comment. I don't know if I should have felt disturbed or laughed, when the predominantly high-school aged crowd shouted the lyrics to LMFAO's 'Shots' party anthem about binge drinking and promiscuity... then one girl in particular, found the need to dirty-dance up a storm to Ke$ha's 'Tik Tok'. When David Guetta's 'Sexy Bitch' started up, I felt like I had lost a part of my soul. I really, hate that song. COBRA STARSHIP are no strangers to New Zealand, having played here previously with Panic! At The Disco and The Academy Is... back in 2008. This time, in 2010 however, they stormed the stage as the headlining act... and what an electric storm, it was! Opening with 'The City Is At War' off their release 'iViva La Cobra!', the Town Hall was transformed into a dance party extravaganza, not stopping at all throughout the entire set. Moving straight into 'Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous' from their latest album 'Hot Mess' - which, by the way, Gabe if you read this - sorry once again for our stupid omission in our Top 50 albums of 2009 list... we love you, really we do.  "Boy you're just a goody two, goody two shoes..." - 'Nice Guys Finish Last' followed, showcasing the vocal talents of Victoria Asher, the keytarist. Gabe and Victoria played up the flirtatious nature of their songs with constant glances and moves, which only got the audience more excited. The sound was a little off at times with the vocals being a little too quiet, but with the volume of the sing-a-longs being at an all time high, the mixing didn't seem to matter. Throughout the set, the band - predominantly Gabe Saporta - segwayed into various topics of conversation, which highlighted the fact that beyond the 'fun band' exterior, their is a lot of thought and intelligence. He spoke about music, doing whatever you want whenever you want as "we're all fucked in the end", of course his love for New Zealand, and appreciation of local act Kids Of 88. While personally I do hope that the purpose of music is something a little deeper than "doing whatever the fuck you want" - I also admire Cobra Starship's ability to shrug off their critics, embrace their fans and, as far as the fan can see, live up to that very ideal that they speak of.  The Latin influenced 'Smile For The Paparazzi' was a personal highlight, amping the audience up for the moment I like to call 'the closest I will ever get to seeing Midtown live'. Yes, Gabe picked up the bass guitar for a brief 30 seconds, while Alex Suarez built up to 'Bring It! (Snakes On A Plane)' - a track in which a girl by the name of Georgia confidently and impressively, got up on stage and performed the rap section, remembering all the words. 'Guilty Pleasure' and 'Hot Mess' rounded out the energetic main portion of the set, which was met with an equally as energetic and passionate cry for the encore, which Gabe had already warned the audience about. Walking back on stage to a deafening pitch of screams before launching into 'The Scene Is Dead; Long Live The Scene' - a song in which Gabe addresses his critics and the state of the scene. In a world where music is so readily accessible; popular interest stems from image, rather than the intent and intellect behind the music. It is easy for music fans who consider themselves 'old school' or more discerning than the average listener, to launch an attack on any public figure who shifts away from their beginnings. But I think that is where things get complicated - a beginning, no matter how much personal meaning one attaches to it, is still a beginning. With Gabe Saporta and Cobra Starship, the story is still being written, they've just moved on from the first chapter - if you don't like what they're doing in Chapter Three, then don't join them. Wow... I just went way off track.  Ending their set with 'Good Girls Go Bad', Cobra Starship proved why they are able to do what they do. They may not be your favourite band, they may not have made a certain online magazine's Best 50 Albums Of 2009 list, but they sure do have fun! And appreciate those, who join them for the ride.  |
