Live Review: Titus Andronicus & Free Energy in Hoboken

Titus Andronicus is one of my favorite bands that I don't get to see nearly enough as I'd like. They truly embody everything I love in a band: powerful, intelligent, and honest lyrics, strong musicianship, and a punk urgency that makes the music moving. Live the band is serious, yet fun. It's  inspiring to see a band like this make it (Jimmy Fallon appearance, U.S. tour, upcoming headlining show at Webster Hall where just two years ago they opened for Man Man).

I've seen Titus Andronicus once a year since their opening slot in 2008 with Yo La Tengo at Jelly NYC's Pool Party at McCarren Park. The last time I saw the band was at Glassland's Gallery last July for a free show. I finally saw the band again, with a new album and new musicians, at Maxwell's in Hoboken on Aug. 19. Early in the year I ran into Titus' violinist/ guitarist Amy Klein, who were playing a sold out show that evening. I was there for an earlier show to see Los Campesinos, but couldn't make their that night. The band could've easily played a much bigger space, it's apparent they sell out these smaller places; but, here they are,  a national band, playing the same venue where they got their start.

What's fun about seeing the band live is the repetitive lines that drive you to sing and dance along. The  audience yells, along with Stickles, lines like "your life is over," "it's still us against them," "the enemy is everywhere," and "you will always be a loser." Somehow each lines is sung with more urgency than the previous. Some bands you might describe as "good," "bad," "boring," but Titus Andronicus surpasses these one word descriptions. When you describe them you need to say alot because they say alot, with heart. Otherwise it would do the band a great injustice. The band encompass a bunch of one and two word descriptions: serious, sing-Alongs, driving. Guitar-solos, punk, enemy, friend, war, Shakespearian, lo-fi, garage-punk, rock 'n roll, that together, that together make Titus Andronicus sort of hard to really categorize. That makes them stand out. Yeah, the band is awesome live.

The addition of keyboards and violin to the music creates nice texture. Klein played violin on only a few tracks but, my, oh my, they sounded wonderful. The keyboards were frantic. The vocals were sincere. The band started the set with "Titus Andronicus" and got the crowd moving. The set meshed together quite nicely. To try and dissect the lyrics of a Titus song is like trying to analyze a passage in a novel. It's heavy stuff. It's intelligent and honest. C'mon the band take their name from a Shakespeare tragedy and their latest album is Civil War themed.

Free Energy

Free Energy play unabashed pop music. It's good party music. It's feel good, I don't care what you think, I'm doing what I want music. Just listen to their song "Free Energy" or "Bang Pop" to know what I'm talking about. When you see Free Energy you want to move side to side. Amy Klein wrote a great account of the band and an interview. Check it out here: http://amyandronicus.tumblr.com/post/1076999240/amy-andronicus-presents-five-questions-with-free

Titus Andronicus, Free Energy, and a special guest play at NYC's Webster Hall on September 25th! Dig.