Midlake and Sarah Jaffe warmed up the Riot Room on Saturday
Midlake
Riot Room, Kansas City
Saturday, December 7, 2013
People can easily be forgiven for staying in on Saturday night – after a few days in which the weather has been well below freezing, a trip to Westport becomes less than appealing. The brave souls who made it out to see Midlake and Sarah Jaffe, though, were rewarded with a toasty, rich display of Denton, Texas, talent.
- April Fleming
- Sarah Jaffe
Opening act Sarah Jaffe ended up being the surprise highlight of the night. She appeared just with a guitar and a drummer, and worked through a short but great set of muted electronic dance music and xx-like guitar pop. Fans of the Knife would likely enjoy Ms. Jaffe, particularly “Glorified High,” from her most recent album, The Body Wins.
Midlake cranked its smoke machine up to 11 before coming onstage. The five-piece is known for its mellow, ’70s mood. Live, the band recalls Local Natives and Fleet Foxes in its use of multipart harmonies and lush instrumentation. Most material from the evening’s hourlong set was from the most recent release, Antiphon, the band’s first release since singer-songwriter Tim Smith left the band.
The mood set by the music and lights was a bit dreamy and hazy, and it was easy to get lost in the sound. Occasionally, the dream was interrupted by a brash flute solo (quite ’70s indeed, Midlake). The windows inside of the Riot Room fogged with the healthy crowd’s warmth. It may have been a shallow 17 degrees outside, but it felt a little bit like Texas inside.
Set List:
Young Bride
We Gathered in Spring
Antiphon
Provider
Rulers, Ruling All Things
The Courage of Others
Kingfish Pies
It’s Going Down
Aurora Gone
The Old and the Young
Roscoe
Provider Reprise
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Van Occupanther
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