annuals // crocodile // 10 november 2007 :: more photos [flickr]

When they first appeared on the mp3blogohypeometeradar Annuals in the halcyon days of Autumn 2006, they drew a lot of comparisons to Arcade Fire. The major similarities include the fact that both bands have a lot of people on stage, pouring out their hearts, and making a considerable amount of noise. With Annuals, I can sort of imagine Adam Baker and company retreating to the wilds of North Carolina, tinkering with songs around the campfire, and bringing them back to the civilized world and making them bombastic and loud with the aid of modern electronics. Or maybe that’s just because he was at the center of the Crocodile’s stage barefoot, which seems to show a certain sense of folksy bravery.

All of these qualities were in full swing on Saturday night as they played to a receptive crowd divided by an orange plastic fence to keep the impressionable youth from mingling with grizzled drunkards. Nevertheless, such barriers didn’t stop the audience from putting the east coast to shame in terms of reception. The band seemed genuinely pleased with the warm fuzzies from the crowd. (In response to a shouted post-song thank you: “Did you pay for the show? Then, Jesus, don’t thank us!”) For a sense of that thing I just wrote about the volume and enthusiasm, witness two thirds of the band at one point playing some sort of percussion and later bringing out additional helpers to pitch in when two dedicated drum kits just weren’t enough. The closest the room got to a fevered pitch, though, was toward the end with the iPod crickets and strings, flashing lights, and all hands on deck freight train anthem of “Brother” [mp3]. They continued on, attempting to forgo the encore bullshit, only to be drawn back from the ten by ten backstage holding chamber by raucous applause for one more song.

Related posts:

1. weekend agenda: blade runner, archives, annuals
2. photos: hot chip at the showbox
3. the twilight sad @ the crocodile
4. friday to do list: the rosebuds at the crocodile
5. Bishop Allen at the Crocodile