The Faint (with Baby Walrus and His Mischief)
November 14th, 2008
First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
It’s been four years since Wet from Birth, but I am happy to report that The Faint are alive, well, and cranking out selections off their new album, Fasciinatiion, with all the usual weird science and dance-punk energy. Lead singer Todd Fink donned a long white lab coat and mad scientist goggles for the performance as the band conducted their experiment on the crowd and got the entire main floor jumping and dancing.
Living at the corners of the stage were lights that looked like glowing test tubes out of secret laboratory. On the back wall was a projected visual that spliced Faint-appropriate random animations with live feeds of the drummer and audience. This made it feel like we really were test subjects in the band’s strange science laboratory.
“The Geeks Were Right” zapped the audience with live synth and crunchy guitar riffs, which quickly lead the way into a slew of Faint favorites including “Drop Kick The Punks,” “I Disappear,” “Take Me To The Hospital,” and “Glass Dance.” Then, the lights suddenly went dark transforming the atmosphere into one of complete uncertainty. A small light looked up on synth player Jacob Thiele. He who told us not to worry, that it would take just a minute, and that we were traveling to the future. The darkness was then split by a science fair experiment test of ambient sound-scapes that escalated into the end of the set with “Paranoia Attack” including an extra breakdown that completed The Faint’s experiment of turning First Avenue into a complete rave. The set was punctuated with a three song encore ending in “Agenda Suicide” played with laser synth, ray gun guitar, and the fervor of an experiment gone awry in a panicked horror film.
The Faint certainly delivered. Fink’s mad scientist demeanor was electric, while the live synthesizer gives new tracks off Fasciinatiion a stark, raw texture that isn’t as prominent on the album. With record sales becoming less of a staple product for bands, the quality of live performances are escalating. The Faint is on board and pushing the science.
Check out the rest of the pictures on Flickr.
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