Slowdive and Drab Majesty (The Truman, Kansas City)
This was a tough one for me. On the one hand, there are two excellent bands, including one of my favorite bands of all time. On the other hand, you have a sound mix that drowned out the performance with way too much bass or pushed the levels past the redline, obscuring intricacies and frequencies. In other words, I could tell that Slowdive and Drab Majesty were delivering incredible performances; I just wish I could’ve actually heard them in all of their splendor. Drab Majesty really tore it up on songs like “Dot in the Sky” and I loved the 12-string guitar and flanged drums on “The Skin and the Glove.” As for Slowdive, the maxed out mix was actually a plus during “She Calls.” One of my favorite Slowdive songs, it’s absolutely overwhelming live, especially when combined with the intense light show. And I couldn’t help but grin when the crowd started dancing during “Alison” and “When the Sun Hits.” There was a palpable sense of joy in the Truman, one further enhanced by Rachel Goswell’s beatific smile.
