Mates of State with The Generationals

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I return to my favorite venue at the moment, Fitzgerald’s. Arriving about twenty minutes after the doors were supposed to be open, I was the third in line to get in. The same day of this Mates of State with The Generationals concert was another show at Warehouse Live. M83 was playing at the Warehouse Live so there was a conflict in which show to attend. Though M83 is not from the US, The Generationals label was kind enough to give me some of their music to play on the air from nearly the get go of my show that is on www.coogradio.com. With that in mind and having never have seen Mates of State I decided to attend that show.

The environment is like it always is, people talking and drinking about random subject and music which is the homely environment that I strive on at venues and shows. My friend Israel also showed up, he is a freelance photographer and has done works with a multitude of bands such as White Lies, The Horrors, Mates of State, and Girl in a Coma as well as exceptional work with models. He is friend of the show and official photographer of “It Sounds Better Live.”

While waiting there I did my traditional routine of scouting the area and purchasing a vinyl. I was talking to the vendor while I waited for Israel to arrive. He finally got there and The Generationals began their set.

This New Orleans based indie band had that stereotypical sound that most up and coming indie bands have which is an upbeat guitar with foot tapping drums and a catchy jazzy baseline. They not only played at Fitzgerald’s but also did a twenty minute set earlier that day at Cactus Music. At first it was good to hear this band with the sort of So Cal vibe but then after a few songs it started becoming a bit repetitive. At times also they resemble the new indie band which hit the festival circuit this year, “Cults” with songs like “You Say It Too,” and “Greenleaf.” Just as the audience was beginning to rest their feet and start talking amongst themselves, the band surprised it with a song entitled “Your Forever,” which was that more profound in depth indie sound that separated the band from the rest of the competition, and the correlation with other bands began to dwindle. Though it is not a revolutionary song, it is something different from the rest of the album and also has no resemblance to the album version.  This song lack perception in the album version in comparison to the live sound which makes them a band which need to be seen live.

Mates of State took the stage and began playing songs from their older albums first. They did almost a timeline from the beginning of the show until the end. Nearly everyone knew all of the songs which gave the band a great vibe and made them have a good time along with the audience. The songs sound similar to their album counterparts but at times they surpassed them. During the middle of the performance there was a pause as pianist Kori Gardner attempted to play an older song that she could not remember. Drummer Jason Hammel waited patiently as she attempted to remember the keys. As she finally got in the rhythm he joined in and began the lyrics. When the song ended the band asked the audience member if he was finally happy that they played the song. Someone else in the crowd screamed out the name of another song. The band then attempted to remember the chords, beats, and keys to play the song and then began playing it. With that song ending they said, “What other ones do you want? We are only doing this in Houston.” With the crowd screaming a lot of songs, they chose one from the loudest girl in the crowd. It was “These Days,” which was an amazing performance and great vocals from Jason. As the show ended the crowd did not budget and just screamed for more.

The encore began and ended with their new song from their new album, “Mountaintops,” with the song Palomino. It was a very well founded and perfect ending to the show. It summarized the band in their current position in the music world as well as the direction they are heading.

We can only guess as to what they will come up with next and as for The Generationals having appearances on NPR Music and KEXP we have to keep a close eye on them to see what ne boundaries if any they wish to push and see what direction they wish to take.  The band has confirmed that recording will take place once again with Park the Van Record in January for a new album.

• Get Better
• Maracas
• For the Actor
• Unless I’m Led
• The Re-Arranger
• Think Long
• You Are Free
• Sway
• Parachutes (Funeral Song)
• Goods (All in Your Head)
• Ha Ha
• Whiner’s Bio
• Hoarding It for Home
• Basement Money
• Everyone Needs an Editor
• These Days (Nico cover)
• Now
• True Love Will Find You in the End

Encore:

• My Only Offer
• Proofs
• Palomino