The Format - Concert Review 4/17
I recently attended my first “The Format” show. Ever since being blown away by “Dog Problems” and then loving “Interventions & Lullabies” and a variety of EP’s, I was extremely pleased to finally get the chance to see them in the flesh.
Thankfully, I was not disappointed in the least bit. As a matter of fact, I am thoroughly impressed with them and my respect for their music and their story has only grown.
Nate and Sam seemed to be a genuinely happy people who are proud of the band. Why shouldn’t they be? Not only did they create some of the most refreshing material in years, they told their label to stick it when they wanted them to create a cookie-cutter rehash of older, more generic material.
So they put out “Dog Problems” on their own, their way. The results? An album and a fan-base that has united critics, nose-up-in-the-air hipsters, and the rude, self-absorbed MySpace crowd in unanimous acclaim.
In concert they are energetic, vocally and musically spot on, and best believe, a whole heap load of fun. After the show, it was hard not to put on a stupid grin, look to your left and right, and nod while saying under your breath, “that was really really good.”
Despite that, it’s frustrating to see the majority of the audience of the show being the same group that Nate has so oft thrown left and right jabs at through his music. They sing along, almost oblivious to the fact they are the same type of crowd he makes fun of all the time. No doubt, the band appreciates these fans, but at the same time, I’m sure the crowd they would really want is the one that truly appreciates their music for what it is, great music, and not what a bunch of screaming teenage girls think they should like. Half of it goes over their head, but hey, they don’t care.
The annoyance and frustration reached a head when The Format played one of their most emotional songs, “On Your Porch.” Since these socially-inept school girls couldn’t annoyingly dance to the song, they started talking disrespectfully. When Nate finally screamed the lyrics louder and the band joined in the festivities, they finally stopped talking about what happened in their 3rd period class or the profile of their rival “skank.” Like oh my god, I saw that Lindsay Lohan got hacked, but can’t we discuss this at a more appropriate time.
Overall, even this patience-trying audience couldn’t bring The Format or it’s fans from having a great time. “Dog Problems” was awesome. “If Work Permits” just brought down the house with a rocking rendition. Their revamped version of “On Your Porch” was touching. They didn’t play every song I wanted them to play, but when you have a catalog of music where nearly every song is a delight, you are going to run into this problem. I’d say it’s one of the best problems a band could possibly have.
You truly get the sense they are loving what they are doing and are appreciative for every second of it. Oh yeah, they played a few new songs for the first time, and let me tell you, “Swans” sounds like it’s an awesome tune.
Rarely does a band like this come around. A band that when you reflect on what you just heard, you believe you heard something special - makes you laugh a little, makes you nostalgic for old pals and friendly places, and definitely makes your ears smile a little.
I promise you, if you haven’t heard these guys yet, believe the hype. They are a truly special band. Listen to their albums, see them live. Like most of their believers, you probably won’t be able to get enough of them.
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