Vinyl Theatre triumphs at hometown show
Alternative rock trio premieres 9 new songs
It’s been two years and seven months since Vinyl Theatre released new music, frontman Keegan Calmes said on stage at the Rave Friday.
The wait’s almost over. Calmes suggested the Milwaukee alternative rock trio, signed to Fueled by Ramen (home to Twenty One Pilots, Panic! at the Disco and Paramore), will release new music this month.
But for several hundred fans who caught Vinyl Theatre in its hometown, the wait actually ended Friday night. The band premiered every track from its forthcoming sophomore album, nine songs in total.
How does the new material compare to debut album “Electrogram”? And how’s the band fare live nearly a year after bassist Josh Pothier’s departure?
Here are five takeaways from Friday’s show:
The synthesizers are scaled back: As solid an introduction as “Electrogram” was, at times Vinyl Theatre sounded like a rock band jamming in a sea of synthesizers. It gave Vinyl Theatre’s sound a sheen, but also softened its blow. Chris Senner’s synths and keyboards are still an essential part of the new material, but he’s found more intriguing ways to integrate it into the music, like some twitchy samples sprinkled into “Day In, Day Out,” a track that also gives Calmes’ guitar spikes a chance to shine. Nick Cesarz also dialed up the bombast on drums, his polyrhythmic pops on “My Fault” and “The Island” packing plenty of punch.
A bigger vision: It’s no coincidence that Vinyl Theatre integrated the Killers’ “All These Things That I’ve Done” and Coldplay’s “Fix You” into Friday’s set. Several of Vinyl Theatre’s new songs emulate those heavyweights’ grandeur, from the wide-eyed rock arrangements to the inspirational lyrics. “Speak Your Mind” was most direct with the uplift, a be-yourself anthem Calmes dedicated to his mother. Structurally, “30 Seconds” was the most grandiose, with yearning keys and vocals giving way to a soaring chorus.
The best new song is totally different for the band: Calmes told the Journal Sentinel “Seconds” was his favorite song on the new album, and it’ll likely be the first single. But my favorite was something completely different: a slow, bittersweet ballad called “Thank You For The Good Times.” Senner’s keyboards were beautiful and somber, and Calmes’ elegant croon recalled the Frank Sinatraside of Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie. For the climax, Cesarz picked up the sticks, Calmes grabbed his guitar and the track erupted into Queen-reminiscent flamboyance.
The band has never been better live : Without Pothier, the remaining three members are working harder than ever to put on an exciting show, evident by their sweat-soaked bodies Friday. The Rave set spanned 80 minutes, the longest in the band’s career, but there was never a dull moment. Senner did a handstand in the middle of a keyboard jam on “Electrogram” track “If You Say So,” while Calmes nailed a rafter-reaching falsetto during “Things,” bouncing around like he was standing on hot coals. Between the infectious live-show energy and stronger material, 2017 should be the band’s biggest year yet.
Two more Milwaukee bands show their stuff: The Living Statues, like Vinyl Theatre featured in the Journal Sentinel’s Wisconsin Bands to Watch for 2015, displayed further growth from its Strokes-indebted origins with a new ballad. And Milwaukee band the Middle Ground, recently relocated to Nashville, Tenn., shared songs from its polished December album “Start Again,” and a clever, Kings of Leon-like cover of Alessia Cara’s “Here.”