Glasgow to Seattle - Glasvegas Live in "The Emerald City" Once More

Glasgow is a long way from Seattle. Geographically.

In other ways, however, they ain't so far apart. Perceived to be cold, gray, depressing and spawning very good musical acts are among the common traits the two cities share.

So perhaps it is not too surprising that Glasgow-based band Glasvegas has, over the years, come to Seattle four times to play live gigs. Ventures to the States by the group are not too common, but four times in Seattle between Jan. 2009 and Feb. 2014 is a pretty good clip. Perhaps they feel a bit at home here. Hey, even their poster is gray.

It just so happens that Glasvegas is one of my favorite bands of recent years and I've been lucky enough to see each of those four performances in Seattle - including last Friday at the Columbia City Theater. You can read my reviews of two of those HERE (2009) and HERE (2011). You can also see the band perform a song on CBS's Late Night with Craig Ferguson in the early morning hours of March 5 by clicking HERE.

Now, the location for this Feb. 2014 show in Seattle was a bit of a change up for the size of venue most bands like Glasvegas play in. Indeed, most groups with their status play at a joint like Neumo's (as Glasvegas did itself twice) or maybe the Showbox Market. But for whatever reason, this time around they were booked in at the smaller and more out of the way CCT. Other than a bit longer of a drive from my Ballard-area home to get there, the size and location turned out to be great. A very good band, up close and personal in a smaller space that sounded good. Oh, and in case you haven't been there in a while, the Columbia City neighborhood has - for better or worse - filled in now with a bunch of good restaurants, pubs and boutique shops.

Below is my review of the evening - before, during and after the gig:

Before the Show
A buddy and I hit one of those restaurants before the show, an Italian place called La Medusa. Good food people! Next, we walked the block up to the theater to see what was happening around there only to run right into Glasvegas bassist Paul Donoghue outside having a cigarette. We said hello, thanked him for coming all the way to Seattle and he told us that they almost hadn't made it because they were driving in from Minnesota across the north of the USA and got caught in a blizzard. He said that they only pulled into the parking lot of the theater at about 5:30 p.m. Wow.

We thanked Paul again and went inside. Not much happening in the bar. We pushed on into the theater and saw that the opening band, The Ceremonies, was on stage performing. We knew it'd be about an hour before Glasvegas came on and we decided to go back out and check out a pub we'd walked past on the way. We had a pint, talked about whatever and after a while decided it was time to go back.

Our arrival back at the theater was well timed as it was probably only 10-15 minutes until it was "Glasvegas time." We re-entered the performance space and made our way down about halfway to the stage...which in this venue is still really close to the stage. From the balcony/runway that runs above and along one side of the theater, four darkly dressed figures strolled toward the stage above us and then sauntered out front stage center.

The Gig

The band quickly kicked into the first song from their new album, a number called "Later...When the TV Turns to Static." See my review of the full album, also of that name, HERE. From there, Glasvegas launched into a 90 minute set featuring songs taken from their three albums with an emphasis, of course, on material from their most recent release.

Glasvegas on stage in Seattle at the Columbia City Theater - Feb. 28, 2014

Interestingly, main man James Allan was back to wearing black - donning a black leather motorcycle jacket and black trousers. The rest of the band wore their usual black attire. On their last our, he reversed his normal color choice and wore all white - I think as a comment on the generally positive tone and outlook of their second album, Euphoric Heartbreak.

Since this was a small venue, the band was right there up close. As a consequence, the time between songs lent itself to a more natural opportunity for lead man James Allan to converse, joke and say things to the audience - which he happily did.

This is an element of the Glasvegas - and perhaps James himself - persona that has grown and matured over the years. In their first two shows of theirs that I saw, the stance was not to talk to the audience at all...just go on, play the songs (and they did that well) and not say anything to the audience. Good but not too endearing. I like a band or a performer who is confident and willing to engage an audience as it shows they care about their fans and makes the performance more customized or unique. Well, no problem with that at this show. Allan talked to the audience between almost all the songs.

Beyond thank yous to the audience and saying names of songs, some of the banter that I recall included:

• Allan asking the house lighting operator to dim the lights down because he thought they were too bright and not appropriate for the mood they were going for. This inspired a bit of light hearted back and forth with the audience too.
• An introduction by Allan to the song "Lonesome Swan" in which we learned that the lyrics were, in part, inspired by a visit by Allan to a park lake somewhere that had those animal shaped paddle boats for rent. Apparently, when he was there, all the boats were out except one shaped like a swan...making it a lonesome swan. This got Allan thinking and produced a really good song...not literally about a paddle boat mind you.
• At one point, Allan decided to take off his probably now very hot black leather jacket. But, before he did he asked the audience if they could identify the face of the person stenciled in white on the lower front portion of the jacket. To me, it looked like Jerry Garcia or Greg Almond. To be honest, I did not hear what James said when he told the name...both because of the crowd noise and his thick Scottish accent. I think he said, "Jerry Allan." A relative? I could be and probably am wrong.
• Between one of the songs, Allan bent down to high five or grab hands with a few of the fans right up front. Apparently one of them must have put out a fist in anticipation of a reciprocal fist bump from Allan. After standing up, Allan told the crowd about how that prior to this very tour in the US, he had no idea what a fist bump was. He said that earlier in the tour someone stuck their fist out and he had no idea what to do with it...oddly grabbing and shaking it like a normal hand shake. Now, of course, he knows.

Overall, I would say the performance was top notch. The band were into the gig, giving their performance

Allan and Donoghue on stage in Seattle

with energy and effort - James Allan pacing the middle of the stage and singing out loud and strong, Rab Allan making the most of his stage right space, drummer Jonna Lofgren bashing her drum kit from her normal standing position and Paul Donoghue holding down the fort on bass over at stage left. The sound was really good in this small but acoustically excellent space and, as mentioned, the lighting and effects were minimal...which worked well in this case.

After performing their set and a short break before an encore, Glasvegas ended the show with a stonking version of their tune "Lots Sometimes." This is a song that starts slow and picks up pace steadily to the point where the last, say, third of the song is rocking loud and fast. An excellent way to end the show on a high, rocking note!

Below is a list of songs I recall them playing in total. I think I've captured them all here, but the ordering of them is rough based on a one week old memory. For sure the opener and closer are in the correct order:

Later...When the TV Turns To Static

Youngblood

Lonesome Swan

Geraldine

Dream, Dream, Dreaming

Ice Cream Van

If

The World Is Yours

It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry

All I Want Is My Baby

Go Square Go

----------------------------------------

Choices

Daddy's Gone

Lots Sometimes

Saying Hi to the Band After
And with that, the band exited the way they came in...up the stairs and across the elevated balcony above the stage on the wall. Most of the crowd filtered out, but I had seen a small sign saying that the band would be out to greet fans and sign merchandise after the show. My buddy and I decided to cool our heels in the bar for a bit and then see if we could say hello to Glasvegas after a bit. This we did successfully and were able to speak directly with each member of the band. My feeling on these type of things is that I would rather actually talk with a band member than ask them to sign something for me as my interaction with them. The later seems very self-serving and limits any communication around a physical object rather than something you might say or learn. So, as usual, I did not bring anything for band members to sign.

To James Allan, I wanted to let him know that as an older fan of rock and roll, I really appreciated what he and his band were doing and that it gave me hope for rock...and I did tell him that after thanking him for the show and for coming all the way to Seattle. He greeted my statement with a quick wide-eyed look and a big hug for both me and my friend. You could tell he really appreciated it. A sweet gesture of thanks.

For Rab Allan, we told him we had been to each of the four Seattle gigs for Glasvegas. He asked us which ones we liked best and said he thought the one on this night and their very first show in Seattle at Chop Suey were the best.

With Joanna Lofgren and band manager Denise (also James Allan's sister), we received confirmation that the band had indeed been stuck in a blizzard on their drive from Minneapolis to Seattle - to the degree that they had to pull off the road and wait it out. Lofgren said she did take a short walk around the neighborhood before the show, but did not get to enjoy what she had heard was a very nice day in Seattle. We assured her that Vancouver, BC - their next stop - was a great city and wished her a chance to get out and about up there to see some of the northwest.

Since we'd already spoken to Donoghue, and because it was getting late, we called it a night. With a quick tap on James's shoulder on our way out as a final thank you...we took off into the night and home.

Glasvegas continued on their U.S. tour, heading first north...then Portland and California. Will they be back soon - with new music or a tour? I hope so. This is a band that continues to grown and do interesting things. And, they're nice people to boot. So...here's hoping they keep on doing what they're doing and we get a chance to see them again in the not too distant future.

NOTE: Photographs of Glasvegas on stage in this blog post were taken by Marc Osborn. Copyright for those pictures is owned by Marc Osborn and now use of the images for any purpose is permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn.

Glasvegas Release New Album: Later...When The TV Turns To Static

Scottish band Glasvegas have released their third album. It's a 10 song set titled Later...When the TV Turns to Static. I've been listening to it now for a week or so, and below is a review. You can see my previous reviews of their Glasvegas and Euphoric Heartbreak albums.

Lets start with the album name as Glasvegas main man James Allan puts a lot of thought into song and album titles. The name references a time gone by and hour of the night that used to be very solitary for anyone up all night and alone. That's right, at one time people, there were only a handful of channels on TV and at about midnight most or all of them went off the air. Yep. No programing overnight. Just static. But more than referencing the past, with the title I think Allan is trying to use nostalgia or remembrance of a now-gone nightly event to make a point  about human emotion. Specifically, that moment when the TV goes off (or did) and you were left alone, in the dark with your thoughts with only the blank canvas of the TV static to stare at and project our feelings. That's my take on it. I remember those times.

Album cover of Later...When the TV Turns to Static

Taken as a whole, this album is a serious affair with themes and music that for the most part make you think rather than tap your toe. Allan is one of the more gifted lyricists going these days in my opinion, and on this new album he is plumbing the depths of his ideas. This ends up meaning that Later... is the type of album you'd listen to loudly on your home stereo by yourself after dark with your drink of choice in hand instead of bopping along to in your convertible on a sunny road trip.

Don't get me wrong, each song has something musically interesting about it, but as an entire body of work I think it's honest to say that this is an alternative music album and not at pop rock album. Don't expect Fallout Boy, Muse or My Chemical Romance here. And this is great to me. In fact, this is one thing I like best about Glasvegas. The world is full of standard issue pop rock bands, but this group works its guts out to give you something more to ponder...and yes, it turns out there are a couple toe tappers anyway.

Here are the songs on the disc with some comments from me...

Later...When the TV Turns to Static. "Only I can turn things the other way." The album opener is a return to unusual or alternative themes for songs that Glasvegas explored on their debut a few years ago. Instead of a song about love, a girl (or boy) or what have you, this one is best I can tell about a guy in prison reflecting on what it is like to be locked up and what his hopes are behind those "prison fences and defenses" as he thinks about what must be going on back on his home street and house. Or is he actually now out of prison and back up on the edge of his bed "up in the attic?" Either way, the point is made. The loneliness of isolation and the hope of overcoming a tragedy or major life mistake are well communicated - whether behind prison walls or freshly released but equally sequestered in a dark attic. And yeah, the image of that late night time when the TV goes to static does evoke the feeling well.

As for the music, this is an atmospheric mid-paced song that has a solid wall of guitar from Rab Allan raging below the surface and punctuated with occasional feedback and noise as James Allan's voice soars over the top. Binding it together are the steady bass and drum work by Paul Donoghue and Jonna Lofgren respectiviely. This is a solid start to the album and a "grower" song that you will like more and more as you listen to it.

Youngblood. "Off the edge of the cliff goes the vehicle carrying something happy." Starting with some electronic noises and guitar squeal, this one is a spikier tune right off the bat as a thudding bass and sharp drums join quickly. Over the course of the song, the music builds and builds so that by the end this one is in full loud rocking mode before tapering back to the electric noises that began the tune. The subject of the song seems to be about a young love just finished and the hurt that goes with the separation - realizing that while the hurt is real, it's also "part of growing up." The "youngblood" reference seems to be the other person in the now-defunct relationship, recognizing that this person will probably love and leave again.

Glasvegas Publicity Picture

Choices. "I don't want to be told, but independence is hard to hold." OK, this song is a downer. To me. Well done, but a downer. Why? Well, this song is about how someone is at the end of their rope in virtually all aspects of their life and the fact that they still have "choices" - implied possibly as either killing themselves or perhaps some other (hopefully more positive) changes. No matter which way you go on that, it's a pretty depressing lyric. Combine that with the slow, sparse music and vocal delivery and, well, lets just say this ain't "Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys. Probably not one I'll listen to very often.

All I Want Is My Baby. "It's all about the money, money, money." Normally you would think a song about "wanting my baby" would be about someone desiring their lover. But this is Glasvegas, so it is about wanting custody of a daughter from an abusive and bad-behaving former lover. Yep, "all I want is my baby." Literally. In the song, the voice exoriates a former partner for her hypocrisy, for the embarrassment she's putting him through and asks if she has ever heard of karma. It also seems that paying off the woman is maybe something she has suggested as a way of seeing the daughter again.

Meantime, this is back to the mid-paced tempo of the first couple songs after the downturn with "Choices."

Secret Truth. If "Choices" was depressing, then "Secret Truth" is haunting. Musically, this one's more up tempo and follows "All I Want Is My Baby" well. This is a lament about a relationship lost, and it seems to be saying that even though the singer instigated the breakup, he wishes they had not. That's the secret truth. Or I suppose you could take it the other way and the secret truth is that while the breakup was painful it was perhaps all for the best. Either way, it makes you think about the decisions you make in life and what the real truths are behind those decisions. We may display our motivations publicly, but we also may have - and often do have - "secret" truths around what we do.

I'd Rather Be Dead (Than Be With You). "You showed me what this world can do." The title of this song is right up there with Glasvegas' early Christmas album song called "F*^%k You, It's Over" as brutally honest and clear song title.

A piano driven song without much other instrumentation, the title of this one says it all. Someone has been done horribly wrong by a lover and is not happy about it. Someday - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon - the guilt and the consequences of other person's actions are going to be real. Does this mean the protagonist is going to attack the other person, harm themselves or simply that a heap load of negative karma is going to catch up to the other person? Who knows. But, remember, he'd rather be dead than be with her.

Magazine. "How could I not see that what I was looking for was inside of me already." This is an

Glasvegas on stage

interesting one, and pretty straight forward. The first half of the song is a bout someone who is empty, does not like themselves and searching for answers of all different kinds...and finds what appears to be those answers in the form of a famous person on the cover of a magazine. An image, an attitude to emulate. Trying to be like that hero in the magazine appears to be the way to fill up his spirit and provide an identity. But then, halfway into the tune, the protagonist suddenly realizes how shallow that really is...that the only way to really be happy is to be ones self, love ones self and realize what he's looking for is already inside him - not in a magazine, not in religion or in the approval of others. He puts the magazine on the shelf and gets on with life.

The music matches this more upbeat message and "Magazine" is indeed one of the more accessible tunes on the album. Thumbs up.

If. "If our love was ever to part ways, the world as I know it would never ever spin again." Musically and lyrically, this is full on Glasvegas in all their glory and the star of this album. Get it. It's also clearly the most poppy, commercial song on the album. Hear the song and see the video HERE (short ad in front of the video).

The binary premise of the song is that without one extreme, how would we even know the opposite extreme existed. If not for this, we wouldn't have that. It takes one side of things to truly know the other - making both real. For example, in one line James Allan sings, "If not for dark, how could I recognize the spark. If not for evil, the kind man would walk by invisible."

Much of the rest of the song uses the same juxtaposition of things (sun/rain, Mary/the devil, etc.) to make the point, culminating several times with the crescendo chorus that if "our love would ever part ways" the world would surely end - simultaneously implying that a love shared and active keeps the world turning. For anyone who is or ever has been in love - either short term lust and longing or lifelong love - this is the ultimate and personal payoff on the "if" theme of the song and for that it packs a powerful emotion punch.

Mid-way through, the song re-trenches with what I'd call a tip o' the hat to the Talking Heads using a wordplay on that group's song "Road to Nowhere" - flipping it on its head to be on the more positive "road to somewhere." It then seamlessly picks back up into the main riff and finishes.

Musically, I'd call this a mid-paced rock song featuring Rab Allan's shimmery guitar and "oooh, ahhh" backing vocals, a galloping drum beat from Joanna Lofgren to move things along and solid bass work from Paul Donoghue. I'd compare it to earlier Glasvegas songs such as "Geraldine" or "The World Is Yours" - both excellent tunes.

Neon Bedroom. "Between your four walls, I picture myself there soon." This song is about a young student who has an anonymous infatuation with an older person. The student goes so far as regularly walking past the older person's house after dark and seeing the TV flicking - casting a shadow of the person and making them wonder what it's like inside that house and how they'd like to be there with this older person. Teenage fascination and desire.

And, up and until about 3/4 the way through the song you think this must be a young teenage guy lusting and longing for a slightly older woman. This is easy to understand certainly because of Allan's male voice. But then he sings out, "I'll be a woman soon." So...the character is a girl, not a boy. Is the focus of her attention and older guy? A woman? We don't know. And that's probably by design. What's left is clear though...this young person is aching for her adult future and, in this moment, hoping it's with this person on her street.

This is not the only time Allan has used his straight, male voice to tell the story of others not like him. Two songs on their previous album, Euphoric Heartbreak, communicate feelings from the perspective of a closeted gay man. And on their debut album, Allan voices "I am Geraldine, I'm your social worker." I like this. It's bold. It opens up many stories to tell and feelings to express for Glasvegas that would not be possible by creating songs strictly from the straight, white, male perspective. 

Finished Sympathy. "Sick to death of the means to an end." I think this one is about the final, crushing realization that something - a relationship or perhaps innocence - is over. Done and dusted. There is no longer even sympathy from those involved, just...the finished finality of things. Over. And it hurts at least one party as expressed by the singing voice of James Allan with backing voice provided by Rab Allan.

Previously released as a sparse demo on the band's If EP earlier this year, the song appears here with more fireworks. I like the change. It takes the song from being primarily a piano ballad to a song drenched in guitar sounds and a number of musical and vocal crescendos that punctuate the theme of the song and keeps it moving along nicely.

WHAT TO GET

• Download now - If, Magazine, Later...When the TV Turns to Static, Youngblood, Finished Sypathy
• Want more? Try these - All I Want is My Baby, Neon Bedroom

ALSO

Glasvegas has three albums out now, along with a Christmas EP. Below is a 15 song set of what I would consider the best songs from those releases. If inclined, you could put these together for a great "album" of music. All are available on iTunes:

1. Geraldine
2. Go Square Go
3. It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
4. Daddy's Gone
5. Flowers and Football Tops
6. Euphoric Heartbreak
7. Lots Sometimes
8. Dream Dream Dreaming
9. The World Is Yours
10. Whatever Hurts You Through the Night
11. Cruel Moon
12. A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like a Kiss)
13. If
14. Magazine
15. Finished Sympathy