Remember the band Cursive? Believe it or not, they still exist and release a new record about every three years. This has been one of those years, and they happen to be one of what seems like only a handful of bands that consistently play in Michigan when the time comes.
This past summer, Pontiac, Michigan was graced with the presence of Omaha, Nebraska’s greatest outlet of righteous anger.
This night really was an interesting concert experience, especially when Detroit-area show attendance is unpredictable, and usually not all that good. By the time my buddies Javelins took the stage as local openers, the Pike Room was packed. Granted, this was billed as a “rare small room appearance” for Cursive, but there being 200+ kids in attendance by 9:15 PM already made this a special evening.
Javelins played one of the better sets I had seen from them in a while. Not that their sets have been lacking lately, it’s just that this one was especially tight. I will admit that I’m getting a little antsy for some new material, but when the arty, dreamy and shoegazey post-punk pop of last year’s masterpiece, Heavy Meadows, is done this tightly, it is a pleasure to experience. And a Javelins show is not a Javelins show unless they close with the title track, which was one of the best songs of 2008.
I knew absolutely nothing about The Love Language going into the night, and after passively listening to them while chatting with some friends, I understood why. They were incredibly bland and uninteresting. I’ll leave it at that.
Without question, Cursive were the highlight of the night. I was shocked at how good their set was. Hearing songs from the new record, Mama, I’m Swollen, in a live setting completely won me over. I was bummed they didn’t play opener “In the Now,” one of my favorite songs of this year, but aside from that they made some solid choices from it.
Aside from the new stuff, the band did a great job of spreading the rest of their setlist around, performing tracks from 2006’s Happy Hollow, The Ugly Organ (2003), the Burst and Bloom EP (2001), and yes even their classic, Domestica, which dates all the back to 2000. It was fantastic to see them play gems like “Some Red Handed Slight of Hand,” “Art is Hard” and “The Recluse” from The Ugly Organ, and it was especially awesome to experience Burst and Bloom’s leadoff track, “Sink to the Beat” as part of an encore again.
However, it was the surprising amount of material Cursive played from Domestica that was the highest of highlights. I had only seen them twice before this, and both times in 2003 at the Majestic Theater, and had never seen them perform “The Game of Who Needs Who the Worst,” but boy did they deliver the goods this time. “The Radiator Hums” and “The Martyr” were completely badass, especially thanks to the group of friends and other random attendees in close proximity and I shouting along to the lyrics.
This was one of the most enjoyable shows I had been to in quite some time. Between the number of people I knew there, the body count in general and the whole reason we were there, it was a grand night to remember. I am overjoyed that Cursive still have it in them to put on an intense and emotionally charged as well as incredibly entertaining performance. It helps that they are still releasing great music.
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