Wild Flag’s decision to tour the songs on their debut album before the album had been recorded appears to have paid off in dividends. Despite the vast experience between its individual members, they did not rest on their laurels. Instead, they played and played these songs (and played them again) until they became a super-tight live unit. At a sold-out Troubadour on Thursday night, they ripped through a near 80-minute set of indie-rock…with a serious emphasis on the rock.
Photos by: Laura Greenwood
It was the perfect venue for a band that has developed a remarkable live chemistry in a short space of time. Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss have, of course, done all this before in the great Sleater-Kinney, but the important connection in Wild Flag is between Brownstein and fellow vocalist/ guitarist Mary Timony. The dual vocalist dynamic works best in a band when there’s both compliment and contrast, and these two fit that bill to a tee. Timony was all languid, laid-back cool, leaving most of the viscera to Brownstein, who was frankly a tour de force. Her high-kicking, adrenalin-pumping live persona is exactly the sort of thing to get a whole crowd dancing, and Brownstein responded to the crowd’s energy with vigor and power.
The set highlights were plentiful, but in particular “Future Crimes” sounded tighter and angrier than it does on record, “Electric Band” was typical of the swagger that permeated the band’s performance, and “Racehorse,” in its extended live form, showed off the other key element of the band’s sound, namely the guitar play between Timony and Brownstein. It’s a crucial dichotomy, effortless and with a chemistry that feels as if the two have been playing together for years. This group is truly more than the sum of its parts.
A couple of new songs suggested a more punk-infused direction for the band, driven along by the pounding drumming of Janet Weiss. Just for good measure, Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces also made an appearance for the encore, contributing to what had become something of a party atmosphere. An air of celebration surrounded the band, but beneath that was something serious and compelling about the music. Wild Flag’s live show just confirms that for its members, the past doesn’t mean a lot anymore. Their music is not a nod to former successes, but a thrilling success in its own right. They might just be the best new old band around.
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