Show Review: A Silent Film

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Jake Craney

Favorites: Bloc Party, 3EB, Gaslight, Tokyo Police Club, The Kooks, Pete Yorn, Andrew McMahon

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Show Review: A Silent Film

2/28/13 – The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA

Playing with: Gold Fields, Royal Teeth

 Let’s start off with the bottom-line: if you have the chance to see this band when they come to your area, do it.

 Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to the show. The Troubadour provides an intimate atmosphere where you can see a band you love but don’t feel like a sardine packed into a giant venue. The musicians are right there in front of you, not hundreds of feet away.

The opening band Royal Teeth, a young band from New Orleans, absolutely killed on stage. Their energy and their performance (especially with various drums) were spectacular. I’m expecting big things when they release their full-length in April.

A Silent Film (Robert Stevenson, Karl Bareham, Ali Hussein, and Spencer Walker) followed, playing a captivating set of passionate songs brought to life by the band’s energy. The band has a great way of making their songs come to life when played live. Sometimes bands will simply attempt to play their songs and make them sound as close to the recorded versions as they can get. The result is often a lack of energy, creativity, and showmanship. A Silent Film simply rocked out. They took their songs and infused a spark into each one, as if performing them for the first time. “Anastasia” and “You Will Leave a Mark” were both highlights.

 Stevenson and Walker both addressed the crowd at certain points, always friendly and appreciative. For the most part though, the band put all their focus on playing the best set possible. Closing the show with “Harbour Lights” and “Danny, Dakota and the Wishing Well” was a perfect end to their set. The crowd involvement in “Harbour Lights” was a great touch and the sheer rock-onslaught they put into “Danny” left an exclamation point on a set that I (and the rest of the crowd) didn’t want to end.

Simply put: A Silent Film was engaging, energetic, and put on a fantastic show. My only wish was that they could have headlined the show and played a few more songs. Maybe next time around! This specific tour just ended, but if the band plays a show near you soon, make sure to get yourself a ticket.

If you’re new to A Silent Film, check out their new album Sand & Snow on iTunes. Be sure to stay updated with the band at www.asilentfilm.com