Live: Wolf Parade/Charly Bliss

WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL — 1/27/18: I am a big fan of Wolf Parade. As such, at this past weekend’s show, I was pleasantly surprised by the audience turn out — the crowd was large, warm, and loudly appreciative. White Oak Music Hall is a fantastic venue, making for a great-sounding, great-looking show in a great-sized room.

Those few who came early were rewarded with fun NYC opener Charly Bliss. The energetic Eva Hendricks, singing front and center, was bouncing the whole time while playing guitar. All the songs sounded just like what I streamed for the first time earlier in the week — that was when I decided I needed to get to the show early. Think Kim Deal doing power-pop, and you’ll get the idea. Charly Bliss did not disappoint.

After, I easily maneuvered to find a comfortable, up-close spot for Wolf Parade, and the band quickly dispelled any past concerns I’d had over missing them in nearby cities late last year, when they opened for Arcade Fire. On stage, Arlen Thompson (drums) was in the center, behind Dante DeCaro (guitar, bass, keyboards), splitting the co-lead vocalists, with Spencer Krug (keyboards) at front left and Dan Boeckner (guitar) at front right.

The set list was largely faster, louder songs, with just a few softer tracks halfway through. The music and vocals were true to the albums. This was flesh and blood musicianship! No one here was dropping a brick on a synthesizer and singing along to it. Most of the songs — and the entire encore — were off Apologies to the Queen Mary, clearly their wheelhouse stuff. I’ve been loving Apologies since they rereleased the deluxe edition back in 2016.

Wolf Parade moved through the powerful, intricate songs as instinctively as a speeding flock, switching paths with each measure, all traveling together through a hot evening sky. The band played only one from Expo 86, but “What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)” was a highlight. Such a good show! Mesmerized by the shape-shifting instrumental swarm-cloud, it didn’t register that they played only two songs off of At Mount Zoomer, by far my favorite album.

I didn’t care, though; I was absorbed by the rhythm-triggered murmuration. At other times, it felt like this big industrial machine, with a lot of moving parts. Wolf Parade doesn’t do short catchy tunes. I often associate their lyrics with whatever is pressing me at the moment, but I don’t see them aiming for rock anthems. They cast long broad hooks and create big, bold, geometric shapes.

Of course, since they’re touring on new album Cry Cry Cry, they played six songs from that release; hearing them live raised my appreciation for the album, which I’ve already had in heavy rotation since last October.

Dan Boeckner changed guitars often. They didn’t leave much time between songs, but did joke a bit about Boeckner’s biodegradable, single-use, disposable guitars. Boeckner: “Tyler is actually constructing a new guitar for every song. It’s amazing. He’s got a tiny factory back there, and when I’m done with them, I just throw them away, you know, it’s like…”

At the start of the band’s encore, Boeckner spoke up again: “I will be the first to admit that we blew it by skipping Houston every time we went on tour, so…”

“Nobody, nobody told us, man!”, I scream. “We have been waiting!”

It was certainly true for me, and apparently I wasn’t the only one. Knowing the difficulty I’ve had in getting folks excited about this band, I went in thinking there was a good chance this would be the first and last time Wolf Parade came to Houston. I have seen many fairly famous acts stop through…only to find a surprisingly sparse crowd.

On the other hand, that means I’ve gotten to see a ton of shows which, if I lived in another large metro area, would have sold out before I had any chance. So, thank you, diverse Houston! Thanks to the large Tejano, Country, Western, and various immigrant demographics, for enabling me to live with the advantages of the fourth-largest city in the States, yet still get into fantastic shows like this one. END

(Photos [top to bottom]: Eva Hendricks; Dan Boeckner; Spencer Krug; Wolf Parade; Wolf Parade. All photos by Marshall Forse Walker.)