Thursday, September 17, 2009

[review] We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Neumos (9-16-2009)

We were promised nothing, but got nearly everything

Last night, playing to a sold out crowd of eager Seattleites, Scottish quartet We Were Promised Jetpacks took the stage at Neumos. On the ticket stub, it read the show was for Frightened Rabbit: fellow Scottish indie rockers. For me, however, the real headliners of the night were the four Glaswegian transplants from Edinburgh who provided the first of three sets. And while these Scotsmen are - as they put it so nicely - younger than the Ghostbusters, you never would have guessed it when the band kicked off their set with "It's Thunder And It's Lightning", the first track off WWPJ's solid debut These Four Walls. To have only been touring for little over a year, you might have expected higher levels of timidity. This was not the case.

It really helped that the crowd was so into the band - you could tell that the whole group was feeding off the energy in the room. Much thanks needs to be given to local radio station KEXP, for they are greatly responsible for the exposure of WWPJ to the Pacific Northwest. Back before the band had even signed to FatCat Records, when there was only the 3-song self-titled EP available, KEXP first aired "Quiet Little Voices" as the "song of the day". In fact, that's how I learned of these guys over a year ago.

And you could tell that the crowd was familiar with "Quiet Little Voices" based on the amount of cheers given to lead singer Adam Thompson when he announced that "the next song is really good" and that "if you don't like it, you should probably take a step outside" (said in a thick Scottish brogue). As soon as the opening riff was played, a sea of movement took over Neumos' main floor. After the killer a rendition of "Voices", an emotionally charged "Ships With Holes Will Sink" immediately followed, which in my opinion was the best song of the night. Other highlights included "Keeping Warm" which showcased the charging album-version introduction, as well as the cathartic performance of the night closer "Short Bursts."

I can't really do the band justice by describing how great WWPJ sound live. These guys are performers, and they have a live show which cannot be captured on recordings. While These Four Walls is a great album, the live version is miles beyond. It's only a matter a time before these guys break though into US popularity. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for a show near you. Tour dates and a setlist of the night (which I think is correct) are posted at the bottom.

Setlist (9-16-2009):

-It's Thunder And It's Lightning
-Roll Up Your Sleeves
-Moving Clocks Run Slow
-This Is My House, This Is My House
-Keeping Warm
-Quiet Little Voices
-Ships With Holes Will Sink
-Conductor
-Short Bursts

We Were Promised Jetpacks US tour dates:

Sep 17 2009 8:00P
MusicFest NW Portland, Oregon
Sep 18 2009 8:00P
The Independant (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) San Francisco, California
Sep 19 2009 8:00P
The Voodoo Lounge (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) San Jose, California
Sep 20 2009 8:00P
Knitting Factory (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Los Angeles, California
Sep 22 2009 8:00P
Plush (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Tucson, Arizona
Sep 24 2009 8:00P
The Mohawk (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Austin, Texas
Sep 25 2009 8:00P
Spanish Moon (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep 26 2009 8:00P
Bottletree (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Birmingham, Alabama
Sep 27 2009 8:00P
The Masquerade (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 28 2009 8:00P
Club Downunder (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Tallahassee, Florida
Sep 29 2009 8:00P
The Social (with Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad) Orlando, Florida
Oct 1 2009 8:00P
Local 506 (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Oct 3 2009 8:00P
North Star (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 5 2009 8:00P
Black Cat Backstage (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Washington, Washington DC
Oct 6 2009 8:00P
Bowery Ballroom (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) New York, New York
Oct 7 2009 8:00P
Great Scott (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Allston, Massachusetts
Oct 9 2009 8:00P
La Sala Rossa (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Montreal
Oct 10 2009 8:00P
El Mocambo (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Toronto, Ontario
Oct 11 2009 8:00P
Blind Pig (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Ann Arbor, Michigan
Oct 12 2009 8:00P
Empty Bottle (with The Twilight Sad and Brakes) Chicago, Illinois

Buy :: These Four Walls
Buy :: "Quiet Little Voices" (single)
Buy :: "Roll Up Your Sleeves" (single)

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