Mice Parade @ Echoplex, 6/07/2007
It’s 1035pm. No bands have taken the stage. Four bands are on the bill. I am seated on the bench directly in front of the upstairs soundboard. I hear a ruckus on the PA. “Excuse me.” I turn around and am now facing a guy with a grizzled four-day-old beard and my bloody valentine t-shirt addressing the room. It’s Adam Pierce, aka Mice Parade. “So sorry for the lateness. Not our fault, we came here to do a show and they weren’t ready for us. We tried to do a soundcheck at 7pm and nothing was here. And you guys, I don’t mean to be a soundcheck bitch or anything. So then they say they have a space downstairs, but there’s no power downstairs, their soundboard exploded two days ago, this is a brand new board, etc etc ad infinitum ad nauseum. But we’re ready to go now, so please file downstairs and the bar says your tabs will carry over.”
As one, the room of people files down the stairs to (hopefully) fill the cavernous and presently empty Echoplex. A few notes on each set follow. Photos to come.
Kira Kira
Kira Kira has flown in from Iceland just for this show. She’s making noises on gadgets that are (a) known noise-rock staples (you got your requisite melodica, your requisite kalimba, or “african thumb piano”, your requisite “box of screws and shit that makes a pleasing sound when shaken near amplification”), (b) normal instruments (laptop, guitar), or (c) modified objects not of this world. She “sigh-sings” wisps of notes over the entire mess but the laptop, with its harlequin costume mask, carries the weight of the set. Kira Kira’s also got the requisite possibly-crazed Icelandic vibe, and that is not a bad thing. She’s dressed in red from head to toe: red dress, red hose, red boots. One red outfit. As I am currently sporting a red t-shirt adorned with Porky Pig, I grasp an immediate bond that only the red-clad-in-public can possibly share.
Caroline
Caroline croons with Mice Parade regularly, and she’s got a great voice. She’s accompanied by a guy with a laptop, a guitar, and a hat. ‘Nuff said.
Tom Brosseau
Tom Brosseau is folktastic, quiet, reserved, ridiculously modest, and talented as hell. But now I’ve got the requisite loud-as-shit-couple-in-a-quiet-unforgiving-room standing next to me. Eventually somebody walks up to them and by way of introduction says, “I don’t mean to come off like a dick, but could you guys just go over to the bar?” He motions to the bar, some 30 yards away in this former beauty salon. “Naw, man, it’s a rock show,” comes the reply. “I know. It is. And we can’t hear it. I am really not trying to be a dick but I’m pretty much speaking for a lot of people over here.” Eventually they acquiesce and …surprise! The whole room can now enjoy Tom Brosseau.
Mice Parade
Mice Parade takes the stage just past midnight, and just in time to wake everybody up. Adam Pierce’s patience has been tried this evening, this much is clear. Feedback keeps spiking ears, mysterious bass rumbles emanate at inappropriate times and, to top off the numerous sound problems, he now has a beef with the overhead lights. “Man. Those lights are bright, they’re RIGHT THERE,” he grins. I can’t see a damn thing in here!”
Seven people are on the stage. They dive into the set, but sound problems continue to plague the show. Feedback is harsh and frequent. Pierce is pleading with the sound man. “Take down the highs! All of them! Help us out here, man…”
It is now 1245am. By the time he gets behind the second trapkit next to the massive vibraphone, Pierce is resigned to the course of the evening. “The moral of the story is: Fuck it. Just play.”
Mice Parade’s most recent album was released by FatCat Records on May 8. Buy it here.
i’m sad to see your description of Caroline is just three short sentences. she definitely deserves more albeit her short 20 min set.
anyway, talk about one unorganized night! that was the longest time i had to wait to see a show. while it was enjoyable to talk/catch up with friends i haven’t seen in a while, i’m definitely experiencing the zombie, ‘out of body’ feeling from the 1:30am closing of the show. i wasn’t surprised to see people drop out after Tom Brosseau and part of Mice Parade. you’d have to be masochistic to stay for that entire show…like me.
regarding the loud-as-shit-couple-in-a-quiet-unforgiving-room during Tom Brosseau, i swear they came back for mice parade and stood right next to me while i was audio recording the show. during a brief pause in between songs, i motion to them that i’m recording the show, “do you mind?” yet although they gave me the nod, they continued to speak louder than the music, commenting on every little movement mice parade made on stage. i *almost-and-should-have* come up to them and asked if i could record them and speaking at a much louder volume because their conversation was soo much more important and entertaining than mice parade.
damn fucking idiots.
anyway, i also recorded Kira Kira and after the entire show, i approached her at the merch table and asked if it were ok that i recorded her set. for some odd reason, she discouraged me from releasing it and said she would be disappointed if she found it on the net. so sadly, it will have to be a personal copy for myself. i was about to ask for her explanation, but it was way late and i just wanted to eat and go to bed.
sorry long rant and story.
my challenge to you, iwasthere: when playing back the recording, see if you can discern Kira’s noises from the various noises that were a result of technical difficulties at the venue. Mind ye subtle nuances. Only the most ardent Kira Kira fan will know the difference.
Fuck the echo.
I agree, fuck the echo. I seem to remember a long wait last time I saw Mice Parade there as well. I drove from Santa Barbara and didn’t get back until 3:30 for work at 7:00. To make matters worse the bartender gave me a manhattan with scotch in it! I had no idea scotch and vermouth magically become tequila when mixed.
Anyways, they seemed to get things in order by the middle of “Tales of Las Negras”. Hopefully the band has given up on this venue and we can see them somewhere else next time.