Indie rock isn't really a mainstay at Wolf Trap so when newer (read this century) come to our theater, it's kind of a big deal. I'm apparently out of step with the times since I didn't know either of these artists so I was interested to hear what they sounded like. Manchester Orchestra is neither an orchestra nor from Manchester but were in fact formed in Atlanta in 2004. Led by singer Andy Hull and lead guitarist Robert McDowell, they released their debut album in 2006. Their music has a harder rock tinge than many other indie contemporaries and they have success playing big festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella. Their song "The Gold" has been their biggest hit so far and they have sold a considerable amount of records considering their independent label status. They were joined by fellow indie group Dr. Dog. Hailing from Philadelphia, the got together in 1999 and are led by bassist Toby Leaman and guitarist Scott McMicken. They started writing songs together in 8th grade and quickly got a band together to play gigs around Philly. Althgouth their earlier records have an avant garde aspect, their latest album has a more pop orientation that is a little more approachable. They have released an impressive 10 albums and feature heavily on the indie charts. Both artists have contrasting styles; Dr. Dog relies more on their song craft and instrumentation whereas Manchester Orchestra are rockers to the core. It made for an interesting evening.
Not knowing these artists at all, I had no predilections for either band but I quickly took to Dr. Dog more. Their opener, Alex G, was unfortunately pretty bad. I'm normally pretty forgiving but their vocals and rather interesting arrangements just sounded off. Manchester Orchestra is a much better band and as a group they have a harder sound live than on their records. It's not really my forte and Hull's singing borders on 90's metal at some points. Nevertheless, they had a good sound and jammed very well. Dr. Dog closed the show and they were the light at the end of the tunnel for me. They were the best singers and performers and their songs were a lot easier to latch on to. Their stage aura was more typical of indie bands and I think people were a lot more receptive to them than the other groups. I can't hide my predispositions and Dr. Dog really allied more with my tastes but overall it was a good mix of music and a genre that doesn't frequent Wolf Trap that often.
I didn't really have a favorite part of the show since I didn't know any of the songs but Dr. Dog's performance as a whole was such a breath of fresh air that I needed to get through the 4 hour show.
Looking forward to more shows in the future!
DC
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| Dr. Dog |
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| Manchester Orchestra |
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