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Silversun Pickups show review at the Monolith Music Festival, September 13, 2008 at 8:45pm

September 22nd, 2008 Posted by: Dust Devil

Hello everybody,

This was the show I was most looking forward to on Saturday at the Monolith Festival. I had seen the Silversun Pickups in Phoenix, AZ twice before, once opening for a band by the name of Vive Voce at the Modified, then a few months later headlining a show at the Clubhouse in Tempe. I really have enjoyed watching them progress for the past couple of years and have seen them blossom into a heavyweight live act. They are currently in the midst of recording their follow-up to the magnificient Carnavas, released in 2006. Do not even pretend to like quality music if you do not already own this amazing slab of music.

It was obvious the band had a lot of fans in the audience, as it was the first time that day I noticed the main amphitheatre at Red Rocks really filled with lots of people. Deservedly so, as this band has worked hard and toured tirelessly. Their gratitude was evident the moment they walked onstage and vocalist/guitarist Brian Aubert and bassist/vocalist Nikki Monninger seemed nearly giddy the whole performance.

They tore into a set filled with seven tunes off Carnavas, a couple off their debut E.P. Pikul, and two new ones. The new songs sounded outstanding, showing a bit of progression, but still showcasing their trademark sound. Kissing Families from Pikul and Dream at Tempo 119 from Carnavas were two stand-out tracks from the set. Of course, the explosive Lazy Eye was played toward the end of the show and was utterly intense. The instrumental played after the last verse seems to change every time I see them and always brings the crowd to a fever pitch. This is a ferocious live act that plays with utter precision. A spectacular show and it left me pumped for the day the new material finally makes its way onto CD.

A great band, a great set, and in the Dust Devil’s humble opinion they should have been the headliner on this evening. DevotchKa was good, but Silversun Pickups absolutely smoked.

Cheers!
The Dust Devil

Filed under: Event Reviews