Live Post-Rock

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Do Make Say Think on the first show of their current tour. It was my first post-rock show, although I've been listening to the genre for quite a while, so needless to say, I was excited (especially since DMST is one of my favourite bands). I have to say - I was COMPLETELY blown away by their live performance! I'd always wondered how post-rock would sound live and whether or not it would be exciting to see, but not only did the band sound fantastic - their music, when heard live, sounds about a bajillion times better than it does on the albums. The intensity and raw emotion of all 8 musicians on stage was simply incredible, and don't think I'll be seeing anything quite like it anytime soon.

Still, that's the only post-rock show I've ever been to. For those of you who have seen other bands in the genre (or the same one), what were your experiences like? Were the shows you went to as mind-blowingly good as the one I saw? Any particular bands in the genre you'd recommend seeing, or any who weren't so great in a live setting (hopefully there aren't many of these!)? I'm looking forward to your responses!

I wish Do Make Say Think could visit Sweden some time. I'd really love to see them, they're my favourite Post-Rock band. I might see Explosions in the Sky in March, but I'm not sure.

Unfortunately for me, all my favorite post-rock bands are playing at venues within three hours of where I live over the course of the next five months or so. That sounds amazing, except all of them are 18 or 21 and over clubs! It's definitely agravating. For now I have to listen to bootlegs from archive.org. I'm happy for you though, Do Make Say Think is my favorite, and I can't imagine how moving they'd be live.

I saw EITS last Monday at the Warsaw in Brooklyn. 

 

EITs were okay live, but nothign spectatcular. 

 

You can dowload their bootlegs at www.archive.org anbd receive the same experience I did last Monday. 

 

55 minute show.  They performed "It's Natural To Be Afarid" which was incredible. 

If you EVER get the chance, go see Mono live, they're INCREDIBLE. I'm going to see the Album Leaf next week and I can't wait. Apart from Mono and Yann Tiersen (that guy REALLY had some post-rock songs in Amsterdam ) I haven't seen any post-rock bands live, but I can't wait to do so!

Mono, Do Make Say Think, Isis w/Jesu, are all performing around here.  but they are all on school nights so I cant go. 

It's so painful hearing about good Mono are live. I just wanna die 

I've seen many of the major post-rock bands live, and I've actually never really been blown away, although Sigur Ros and Mogwai always put on a great show. I think one thing that makes post-rock work in a live setting is that the dynamics can be so much broader than on CD. So the whole soft-loud thing gets a lot more life when the soft can be pretty soft but the loud can be ENORMOUSLY loud. (This goes especially for Mogwai, Explosions and Mono.)

I'm seeing Do Make Say Think for the first time later this month, really can't wait. Of all the big post-rock bands, in a lot of ways they are the most unpredictable and interesting. The new album didn't disappoint.

I had the privelege of seeing DMST just last night, and i must agree. INCREDIBLE. Absolutely powerful and moving experience, beautiful expansive yet organic walls of sound.. If you ever get the chance to see this band, don't pass it up!

mmm....

I'm going to see Isis and Jesu on saturday.  This is gonna rule...