This review is a little late, because it's been a busy week, but Wednesday the 7th VNV Nation played the Granada for $16. Although the weather wasn't cooperating that day, and it was a Wednesday night, a small, but dedicated crowd of fans came out to show the goth industrial band their appreciation.
The show started early, with the opening band coming on around 8 p.m. Going to a show a little late to avoid waiting for the band to set up is usually a good idea, but not when the headliner actually comes on before 10. VNV Nation was already on by the time this reviewer and friends arrived, but they saved some of their best songs for last.
Ronan Harris sings with a rich, resounding voice that makes VNV Nation so remarkable. Behind him drummer Mark Jackson plays measured, rhythmic beats that give every song its pulse. Between the poetic goth ballads, airy electronic melodies, and rhythmic industrial beats, VNV Nation puts on a show that is different and exciting for loyal fans and newcomers alike.
Popular favorites like Chrome got the crowd dancing a little. But one can't expect too much movement from a goth crowd. Not all VNV Nation songs are good to dance to, at least not most entire songs. A lot of pieces like Beloved have slow, spacey, vocal parts, brought to life by the flashing, dancing light show the band has set up behind them. But Harris got the crowd riled up with Nemesis, leading the audience to sing the chorus with him.
Harris is notorious for hassling the crowd for the slightest sign of disrespect or disinterest in him and whatever he's talking about between songs or singing. It's mostly hilarious, but sometimes incredibly annoying, considering everyone paid money to have a good time, and it's a concert, not a classroom, so people can talk, text or do whatever they want.
The Granada was only about half-full, which is surprisingly small for a VNV Nation show, or any show at the large venue. Goth and Industrial shows are hard to come by in Lawrence, and in Kansas in general, so it's exciting to have an opportunity to see a big name like VNV Nation up close, without fighting for space in a huge, packed crowd. The crowd was mostly made up of goth kids, who know the words to the songs, but still don't know how to dance much. Nonetheless the fans screamed and cheered for more whenever the band stopped. The first encore wasn't hard to earn.
Almost immediately after heading backstage the band re-emerged. The second encore was a little harder to get, but through perseverance, chanting, and cheering the crowd got what they wanted. Harris and Jackson came out to play a song together before being joined by the other two guys playing on keys and synthesizers.
Even with two encores the band was finished at about 11:30, leaving the crowd satisfied, but surprised at the hours left in the night. VNV Nation put on a lengthy, exciting show, despite the timing and small crowd, and showed an admirable dedication to their art.
Now for previews:
Tonight, Friday, April 9th, Sonic Sutra is opening up for California Voodoo - who will be playing a tribute to Widespread Panic. This show at the Granada should provide plenty of rock for anyone trying to party on the town. Sonic Sutra plays a funky, lyrical rock that is too fun to miss. California Voodoo is a southern rock jam band, perfectly suited to play a tribute to Widespread Panic, which is great music to drink and dance to. The show starts around 9 p.m., and if you can't get your hands on a free ticket, the show will be $5.
Also tonight, Mouth and Funkotronic will be playing the Jazzhaus, jamming out some funky party tunes to get down to. As written in previous reviews, Mouth is a rising star in Lawrence's music scene, guaranteeing a fantastic show, especially at the Jazzhaus. Funkotronic is from Rhode Island, but reviews say the band plays a mean mix of jazz-fusion, Latin music, Afrobeat and psychedelic funk. The music starts at 10 p.m., and it's just $4!
Tomorrow, Saturday, April 10th, Cornmeal and Deadman Flats will be headlining an all day bluegrass show called the "L Town Throwdown", including 20-some other bands, starting at 3 p.m. Cornmeal is one of the best bluegrass bands around, playing regularly at most of the big music festivals of the summer, including Wakarusa. Deadman Flats is the greatest local bluegrass band in Lawrence, and always rocks out hard with fun, boot-stomping bluegrass jams. This whole evening will be epic for anyone interested in bluegrass. The show at the Granada will cost $10 according to Lawrence.com.
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