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06/07 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret 06/08 Seattle WA - Bargoza 06/09 Portland OR - Bunk Bar 06/11 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw 06/13 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex 06/14 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar 06/15 Phoenix, AZ - Last Exit 06/17 Dallas TX - Club Dada 06/18 Austin, TX - Red 7 06/19 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds 06/21 New Orleans, LA - Hiho Lounge 06/22 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn 06/23 Nashville, TN - Exit In 06/24 Chapell Hill, NC - Local 506 06/25 Washington, DC - Rock&Roll Hotel 06/30 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Read More Small Black just released a new album titled "Limits of Desire", and are coming to the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday, June 4 to play the new songs live. Small Black offers up a unique …
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It was odd to attend a show at The Cedar that wasn't sold out. In fact, very few people were in attendance for the Small Black show on Tuesday, June 4, but that's not to say it wasn't extremely fulfilling.
With almost all the lights off in the auditorium, save for a few bright neon lights flashing over the band, they started their set with the song 'Photojournalist'. A rhythmic, pulsating anthem-of-sorts, it started the show off on a good foot. Already the crowd of perhaps 50 were bobbing and moving about, as they then switched to a song 'Canoe', off their brand new album 'Limits of Desire'. They switched gears and played a song off their 2008 self-titled EP, called 'Bad Lover' and that's when I really got into it. The 5-song EP solidified them as a heavy contender against all the other "electronic indie" or "chillwave" bands coming out at that same time, even if Small Black didn't garner as much buzz as the others.
They continued with a few more cuts off 'Limits of Desire', including 'Proper Spirit', which got the crowd dancing around quite a bit more than before with its 80s-style keyboard riff and ultra dance-y beat. They noted that this was their first tour with a full band, including guitars, and that the guitarists were having so much fun being able to add new layers to the music with their live shows. The bassist/guitarist impressed me more than a few times with his ability to switch between guitar and bass seamlessly and really showcase his abilities on both instruments. It was also fun to watch the singer dance around with his microphone, all while occasionally turning a knob or two on his mixer/sequencer. The fog machine and flashing colorful lights made me forget where I was a few times during the show.
They played a handful of other songs from each of their releases, including 'New Chain', Breathless', Outskirts', 'Only a Shadow', ending with 'No Stranger'. They didn't play an encore, but I believe they felt as equally satisfied in their performance as did the crowd, and that more may have taken from the amount of greatness they showcased for us.
With almost all the lights off in the auditorium, save for a few bright neon lights flashing over the band, they started their set with the song 'Photojournalist'. A rhythmic, pulsating anthem-of-sorts, it started the show off on a good foot. Already the crowd of perhaps 50 were bobbing and moving about, as they then switched to a song 'Canoe', off their brand new album 'Limits of Desire'. They switched gears and played a song off their 2008 self-titled EP, called 'Bad Lover' and that's when I really got into it. The 5-song EP solidified them as a heavy contender against all the other "electronic indie" or "chillwave" bands coming out at that same time, even if Small Black didn't garner as much buzz as the others.
They continued with a few more cuts off 'Limits of Desire', including 'Proper Spirit', which got the crowd dancing around quite a bit more than before with its 80s-style keyboard riff and ultra dance-y beat. They noted that this was their first tour with a full band, including guitars, and that the guitarists were having so much fun being able to add new layers to the music with their live shows. The bassist/guitarist impressed me more than a few times with his ability to switch between guitar and bass seamlessly and really showcase his abilities on both instruments. It was also fun to watch the singer dance around with his microphone, all while occasionally turning a knob or two on his mixer/sequencer. The fog machine and flashing colorful lights made me forget where I was a few times during the show.
They played a handful of other songs from each of their releases, including 'New Chain', Breathless', Outskirts', 'Only a Shadow', ending with 'No Stranger'. They didn't play an encore, but I believe they felt as equally satisfied in their performance as did the crowd, and that more may have taken from the amount of greatness they showcased for us.
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Small Black at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06/04/13) |
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