Live Report ~ The Slants: May 8, 2009
ACen - Chicago, IL
Rosemont, IL - Friday kicked off ACen 2009, with the usual fanfare of opening ceremonies and the first set of concerts in the Hyatt Regency's main ballroom. The Slants, hailing from Portland, Oregon, were set to take the stage first.
Catchy dance music filled the ballroom as congoers filed in. Someone on the side of the stage blew up two large white balloons and tossed them into the audience, who immediately set them floating above their heads while they waited for the Slants to claim the stage.
The opening notes to Welcome to Doomtown intensified the atmosphere as Aron, Johnny, Simon, and Tyler took their places onstage. Cheers went up throughout the room as Aron began singing, looking out into the audience as if he could see every face through his white-framed sunglasses. The Slants continued on to their next song, We Will Never Die, full of momentum and bursting with energy. Halfway through the song, Aron's mic came unplugged, but that didn't stop the Slants. Johnny and Simon showed off their guitar and bass skills from just at the edge of the stage, taunting the audience, while Aron found a new mic.
Even the small technical difficulty could not ruin the Slants' momentum, and they continued their set as if nothing had happened. Love Within My Sins was next, followed by a brand new song, and then back to an older song, Sakura, Sakura. The Slants entertained throughout--everyone (except Tyler, the drummer) took turns jumping off stage to play amidst their audience, and Aron even made a handstand in the center of the stage.
Occasionally, one of the balloons would find itself onstage, and the guys onstage would playfully bat or kick it back into the crowd. Neither side of the room got neglected by anyone, and Johnny, Simon, and Aron climbed onto Tyler's drumset and the amps on either side of the stage so those in the back could see.
The audience responded to their antics with cheers and dancing, and a few Slants fans could be seen singing along with Aron here and there in the masses. Even more Slants fans were in the making, as the Slants captured their interest in a steely grasp. The audience's attention on the band was especially strong when Aron put on a horse mask for Stranglehold, one of the Slants' more intense songs. Capture Me Burning's catchy sound brought the show back to a more fun, dancey atomosphere.
The Slants rounded out their set with Vice Versus Virtue, a somewhat languid song that the band still managed to throw a lot of energy into for their finale, and the audience still buzzed with excitement after they had left the stage.
The Slants' performance wasn't quite like their recording--but in this case, it's mostly a good thing. While their live set lacked a live female backing like in the album, the Slants more than made up for it. They did it not only with technical prowess, but also with showmanship--the Slants were very active and engaging onstage. However, the volume of the electronic elements was rather low, and sometimes even got lost under the sound of the live instruments--probably something that would not have been a problem if they had had a live keyboardist.
ACen doesn't have the best track record for bringing rock bands for their musical guests, but they hit true when they chose the Slants. Their "Chinatown Dance Rock" sound had just the right balance of rock and dance to satisfy just about anyone (unless you wanted some noodles, too).
Note: the Slants were scheduled to take the stage during Saturday's block of concerts, however, due to time constraints, they were unable to perform as planned. The Spoony Bards took the stage at 2pm, the Slants' original slot, and the shuffling of times created a scheduling conflict.
Set List
Welcome to Doomtown
We Will Never Die
Haruki Murakami/Love Within My Sins
New Song (untitled)
Sakura, Sakura
Every Chance I Get
Kokoro (I Fall to Pieces)
Stranglehold
Capture Me Burning
Vice Versus Virtue
report and photos by Melony
top banner by Minagi, who says that seeing the Slants live melts your face off!
Thank you to The Slants and ACen for making this possible!
links
The Slants Official Website
The Slants Official MySpace
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