Luckily for me, Bloc Party was playing two nights at the Wiltern. My first impression of the new album was not a good one. After repeated listens though, I think the album holds up. The problem is that "Silent Alarm" was so good. The Like opened the evening's events with their dreamy indie rock like songs. Tennessee Thomas was pounding on drums all night and even broke her drum foot pedal which she threw at Charlotee Froom(Bass). Elizabeth Berg had a good guitar sound running through Orange amps. They played some new songs that showcased their improved writing skills. Final Fantasy was next and happens to be a one man violin band composed of Owen Pallett. I suspect he used a Boss Loop Station as he would sample a violin part and start stacking it on top of each other to create a mini orchestra on all his songs. As Darth Vader would say, "Most Impressive". Bloc Party had a minimal light setup and let the music do the talking. Kele Okereke's voice is an instrument itself. Russell Lissack was channeling Johnny Greenwood with his Fender Telecaster and his arsenal of guitar pedals. Gordon Moakes did an impressive job on "Waiting for the 7.18" playing the Xylophone. Show highlights included "Hunting for Witches", "I Still Remember", "Banquet", and a blazing version of "Like Eating Glass" that actually gave me chills. Kele walked down into the crowd and worked the audience very well. The tough L.A. crowd even screamed out the opening lines of "Helicopter" during the encore. Unfortunately, they did not play two of my favorite songs from the new album "Sunday" and "Atonement" but it was a superb show. Just give this album a few more spins to let it sink in and you will not be disappointed.
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