Live Review: Do Make Say Think

November 9, 2007

The Waiting Room

Omaha, NE





Another autumn night, another Do Make Say Think concert for SonicRyan, right? Before I begin, please allow me to advise any of you dear readers that might plan on road tripping to Omaha for a show at the Waiting Room in the near future that you call for directions (the interweb really fucked me this time) and that you have plenty of coolant to prevent your engine from overheating when you're lost. You'll thank me later.

Unlike my previous Do Make Say Think concert experience, I was a little more prepared this time around. I have to admit, walking into the Record Bar completely stoned and with only the faintest recollections of listening to & Yet & Yet while playing Scrabble and doing homework the previous fall was actually more fun, as I felt like I was discovering DMST for the first time. However, actually knowing the material a little bit better this time around allowed me to focus on the set more clearly, pick out individual parts, and unwind after a stressful trek across the Midwest.

Do Make Say Think's set did not stray too much from the one they played at the Record Bar. If anything, I think they played a more songs during the encore in KC, but I could be mistaken. Obviously, new cuts from You, You're a History in Rust were featured, but the set included a healthy dose of Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn, and even a couple from the aforementioned & Yet & Yet. But when guitarist/keyboardist/most talkative Thinker Justin Small asserted before the show that the audience was about to witness some "Canadian Space-Rock", he forgot to emphasize the "Rock" portion of his statement, as Do Make Say Think, at least on this tour, are proving to themselves to be a full fledged rock behemoth.

The set started gently enough, with the excellent "A Tender History in Rust" included, but the band hit their stride early in the show with "Executioner Blues", and from that point on they pummeled each and every person in the (sadly small) Waiting Room audience with intense guitars, streaming fuzz bass, soaring violin, crashing cymbals, and impeccably timed brass. One thing is for certain, Do Make Say Think's songs are carried to new heights when played live, which makes it incredibly easy to get caught up in the excitement. Songs like "The Universe!", with its "KC Accidental"-esque precision drumming and soaring lead guitar, can easily take a person from simple fist pumping to jumping like a lunatic in a matter of seconds. As the show progressed, those in the audience, obviously as amazed as I was back in October, began to vocalize their approval. "You're like a robot!" a very excited fellow shouted at bassist/guitarist/mustache-bearer Charles Spearin midway through "Reitschule". "You guys are awesome," said another young man later. "Can I give you money?" The band politely declined the gentleman's money, but did take some free shots - of Jameson no less (a wink to fellow Broken Social Scene concert goers - Halloween show - here). This loosened up the already amiable septet even more, turning the fuzzed out "In Mind" into a sonic frenzy.

When the final notes of "Auberge Le Mouton Noir", the evening's final song, were played, I was hit with a sense of satisfaction. Unlike the previous performance where I instantly craved more, this felt right, final. A proper conclusion to an evening filled with crazy circumstances, tense moments, highs, lows, and ice cream. Don't get me wrong, I'm still in love with Do Make Say Think, and I'd travel even farther if it meant catching them again. This particular chapter may be over, but when the time comes I can turn the page and start another.

[mp3] Do Make Say Think - "Frederecia"
From the album Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn.

[Video] Do Make Say Think - A Tender History in Rust (live in a field)