live review: Islands @ Eyedrum, 7/3/10 (pics and setlist)
Despite the fact that I had seen them three times previously, I didn’t really know what to expect out of Saturday night’s Islands show. The band has never had a stable identity, with bandleader Nick Thorburn the only constant member. I figured Jaime Thompson would be there on drums since much was made of his departure and later return to the fold, but I had no idea what the rest of the lineup would be like or what they would play. They already toured behind Vapours, so would they be over that and onto new material? Or would a new lineup, with less synths and keyboards and maybe the return of the strings, mean more stuff from the first two albums?
Turns out the Islands that showed up to Eyedrum is the same incarnation that played Lenny’s this past Halloween. The four man lineup is still heavy on the keys and synth, and Vapours still dominates the setlist. There were a couple of new songs, both very good, but neither of which sounded like they would have fit in on any of their previous albums. No surprise there. None of the older songs were particularly surprising, either. “Creeper” fits in nicely with the Vapours tracks, and they’ve still got the good sense to encore with “Swans.”
Overall, it was a good live show from a good live band that seems to have settled into a groove. The large crowd seemed to be having a good time, too, except for the minor hiccup caused by Crazy Drunk Girl trying to beat up her boyfriend then tackle-moshing everyone in sight during “Rough Gem.” Trainwreck.
new songs are listed as “Hushed” and “Shotgun”
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