Memorex? Really?

Radio Dept
7th Street Entry
February 9, 2011

they played to backing tapes. THEY PLAYED TO BACKING TAPES!!! i dunno. i'm still outraged. and more than a little disappointed. eyes to the ground for most of the show, they barely even acknowledged that there was a crowd (although i think i saw a few smiles nearly break out several times for whatever inscrutable nordic reason....like maybe what saps this crowd is to cheer us when we are practically milli vanilli) in fact, maybe the whole show was just an art project and they were pre-recorded holograms beamed from sweden via satellite. you'd never be able to tell from the performance. i could have just stayed home and watched a youtube video of a show of them. same net effect. and i wouldn't have been subjected to the utter lack of enthusiasm that the crowd displayed for the opener, The Young Prisms (ok, maybe the audience's complete failure to acknowledge the band by clapping when songs were over was pretty funny and the highlight of the evening)

where was i? oh yeah, indignation at the swedish nation. blerg. and harumpf. at least they had a good set list with pretty much all my favorites. and i do have to say, most radio dept songs are my favorites; "pulling our weight", "David", "Heaven's on Fire", "The New Improved Hypocrisy", "Ewan", "Domestic Scene", "Closing Scene." Just wanted a live rhythm section, nobody pushing the play button and maybe a little spontaneity. maybe i ask too much and should just be happy that they decided to hit our little hamlet. but that would be acceptance. i'd rather have a drummer!