Mew & Explosions In The Sky
Venue: KL Live, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: 31st October 2013
Promoter: Freeform Sdn Bhd
Review by: Ee Liza
Special Thanks: Freeform Sdn Bhd, Kulturpop
Do you ever let out a huge sigh-of-relief when you watch the opening game of a football season? Or perhaps, the quiet delight you feel as your favourite TV show is back on air every week? Well, for over 10 years now, there has always been an annual Urbanscapes event to look forward to. This time, however, for the 2013 ‘season’, not only do we get two days of events but it will be stretched over four days, over three different months (Oct, Nov, Dec)! You even get to hold an all-access pass for all the events. As the proverbial curtain is raised for Urbanscapes 2013 with the first Satellite Show, kicking things off would be the Halloween double bill special which was honestly a lethal but completely ethereal combination for any post rock fan to experience, featuring accolades Mew and Explosions in the Sky back to back.
Despite a seemingly disorderly queue (and I have never seen a queue of that size in that venue! Although, I have seen a queues that were longer but with more of an order) even the frustration that fans may have felt when they were held back by the queue quickly dissipated the very moment Mew played the first beat of Special after the follow up from new single Making Friends. Mew continued with The Zookeeper’s Boy right after that and the crowd honestly erupted with such energy and sheer enjoyment that for a moment, I thought I was in a sold out stadium. It is completely true then, what I’ve heard so many times over the years, that Mew is “the world’s only indie stadium band”.
Jonas Bjerre’s vocals are of course, a distinct and unique part of Mew. To watch him sing and speak to the crowd in entirely different tones was completely enthralling. There are multiple layers of music that you hear in every live Mew song, to the extent that even the vocals have layers that harmonize perfectly! Throughout Mew’s seventeen songs set list, you begin to realize that the energy and enthusiasm from the crowd gradually became a layer of its own.
The tension was high in the air as everyone anticipated Comforting Sounds. Hundreds of phone cameras came to light as a lone Bo Madsen came back out for an encore and as he strummed the first few chords to the song. He accidentally plucked a wrong string at one point and that moment will forever be captured in video. It hardly mattered though, because right there and then, that feeling of gracious disbelief was painted on a lot of faces in the crowd as they swallow around the fact that Malaysians finally get to hear the song played live in Malaysian soil.
To follow up on Mew was not an easy challenge indeed, but for Explosions in the Sky who are currently on tour with Nine Inch Nails, they were at complete ease as they arrived at the very same venue they played more than five years ago in 2008. Munaf Rayani gave a short and succinct greeting before the five of them (four plus one touring member) tackled The Only Moment We Were Alone. The song is taken from 2003’s monumental The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place, arguably one of the best albums to spin as you drive at night, even if it has been ten years.
I have to say, a mutual Explosions in the Sky gig experience would be one where you close your eyes to savour the music and bob your head along to everyone around you. You might wince together as well, as there will be that one person that might instinctively clap and cheer before the song has ended. It goes to show that the crescendos and diminuendos in their songs are all well memorized by their listeners that when your thoughts flow along with the music, you anticipate the next melody that comes out of the speakers. I see now, the good people behind Urbanscapes have called this a “Satellite Show”. You soar as high as your mind will allow you and then the satellites bring you home for the music to ground you.
Despite being limited to play only a selected few songs for every show due to the length of each of their songs, Explosions in the Sky continue to play old favourites such as Yasmin the Light, along with newer ones including Let Me Back In. I could not help but hear Friday Night Light’s Coach Taylor uttering the final, “Clear eyes, full hearts…” over Your Hand in Mine. Along with the end of the popular football TV show of course, is the end of hearing bits and bobs of music from Explosions in the Sky being featured in key scenes of that series. Fret not though, as they have recently been keeping themselves busy scoring the soundtrack to several movies, the latest being Prince Avalanche.
KL Live was definitely the right choice for the first Urbanscapes Satellite Show as the place is designed in such a way that you cannot help but appreciate the intimacy between the crowd and the performers that the venue offers. Let’s just put it this way, every time a band leaves Malaysia happy, they tell all their musically-inclined friends about the wonderful crowd that they have just played to. We get more bands that will be willing to listen when organizers on our shores approach them! Keep your roaring spirit up, Urbanites! My ears are still ringing.
One down, three glorious days of live music left to enjoy before the end of the year season!