Polvo at the Earl
December 6th, 2008 by Besha Rodell in Music news, See & DoIf you lived in Chapel Hill and were part of the music scene there any time during the 1990s, there was no better time to visit than Polvo’s May show at the Cat’s Cradle. It was a reunion for more than the band itself — everyone I’ve ever known in North Carolina, from Raleigh to Greensboro, showed up for that show, including many people who had driven hours to be there. I drove hours to be there.
As Chad explained in last week’s paper, Polvo has come to represent the highpoint of North Carolina indie rock, their discordant, sometimes epic sound gaining legendary status in the ten years since they broke up. There are many bands from era that I love, but none that have stood the test of time so well in my playlist — they have never gone out of rotation, especially their 1996 double album, Exploded Drawing.
The Chapel Hill show was the most fun I’d had in months, but it wasn’t much thanks to Polvo. Apart from a couple of high points, they seemed dazed by their return to the stage. They were sloppy and muddy-sounding. Many songs weren’t quite recognizable, and not in a good, inventive way. I spent a decent portion of the show outside on the smoker’s deck catching up with old friends.
So I was excited but skeptical about last night’s show at the Earl. Apparently the six months back together playing shows has done the trick — from the second they took the stage they were focused and powerful. Old favorites such as “Fast Canoe” built a steady surge of energy that didn’t let up —by the end of the show, new material already seemed classic.
For me, it was pure rock magic — I know it’s a cliché — whatever. Aren’t the best shows when you start babbling clichés?
December 6th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
That was a great show. I didn’t get to the chapel hill show, but i imagine it was quite the event just due to all the musicians who were likely in attendance. But last night I thought polvo was amazing, thanks mostly to new drummer Brian Quast. Holy moly he was awesome.
I paid my indie rock dues in NC in the early 90s, so polvo is pretty important to me. Was really cool to get to see them w/ my hubby (who had paid his dues with me).
I hope they do make a new record.
December 9th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
To call the Chapel Hill show “sloppy” is unnecessarily harsh in my opinion. While the Atlanta show definitely felt “tighter,” the new arrangements, improvised lyrics, and massive equipment failure induced “earn your keep, new guy” drum solo were as organic and entertaining as listening to a Polvo record for the first time.
Another thing to keep in mind: The guitars were definitely “left stage” and “right stage” at the Chapel Hill show. Sitting up front, toward the right side of the stage, I couldn’t hear Ash’s guitar at all. When I moved to the back of the club, the sound was a lot more cohesive.
I really hope they’ll come back to Atlanta soon. The new tracks are as awe inspiring as the old. The covers of “Dazed and Confused” and “Mexican Radio” were solemnly hilarious. The new drummer is thunderous and highly energetic. They’ve still “got it,” and I hope my favorite band doesn’t go away any time soon.