(ENS is happy to welcome another new live reviewer into the fold, Dave Rolfes! Dave was at the Airborne Toxic Event show this week at the Mad Hatter and files this report.)
With their self titled debut released earlier this year firmly planted in the Billboard Top 200 (this week at 113) for a total of 24 weeks and holding the top place on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, there is no doubt that Airborne Toxic Event has started their approach for arrival. Behind constant touring over the last eighteen months and some radio play they have quickly build a following as one of America’s fast rising bands. With a line out the door and around the side of the building as doors opened at 8pm one could tell this was no ordinary night for The Mad Hatter. The gigantic tour bus parked on Scott Street and the fact that this five piece band from California requested no smoking for the night were modest hints to the same fact.
For a Wednesday night show at The Mad Hatter in Covington, this was a huge crowd. Thanks mainly due to the single “Sometime Around Midnight†music fans from all walks of life showed up to catch Airborne at what is sure to be one of their last small club shows. Thanks due in part to our proximity to Lollapalooza, Airborne found their way into “Cincitucky†as front man Mikel Jollett referred to our area throughout the night, and for seventy-five minutes showed why the next time they come through town they will be playing Southgate House, or someplace even larger.
People arrived early and the club was packed by the time that local band Hazle Weatherfield (named with a nod to the classic Catcher in the Rye) came on stage at 9pm. Playing a set influenced by Wilco and Bright Eyes, among others, Hazel played a forty minute set that mostly featured songs from their 2009 self titled release. In addition to introducing the packed house to two new songs, they also introduced a brand new fourth member that joined the band on guitar. The crowd, most who had assuredly never heard of Hazel was definitely into the set and it unquestionably was great exposure for a local band. There is even more exposure on the way for Hazel in the very near future for these guys Saturday night as they open for Bad Veins at Southgate House this Saturday night.
Around 10:15 the side door opened and the headliners for the night walked in to loud cheers from the crowd. The five piece band named after a section of the book White Noise by Don DeLillio took the stage and opened with “Wishing Well” which is the first track off the album which was picked up by Island Records earlier this year. From the first note, the entire crowd was into the set of the guitar driven, sing along pop. It was clear that in no time everyone in the packed club was going to be sweaty and singing along with all the songs they knew, and all of Airborne would be right there with them.
After playing a few more songs from the album, Mikel and mates veered off and tested out some new material on the audience. While the album is just catching nationally, it is by no means new material, as is usually the case. Interestingly enough, the album was released exactly one year prior to the show on August 5, 2008. The crowd enjoyed the new songs but was definitely yearning for something more familiar, and they were given exactly that when “Sometime Around Midnight†followed. From the first note of this five minute opus, the room was as focused on the stage as they were going to be all night. The funny thing about the song is that it is one of the least radio friendly songs on the album, but it has struck a chord with a vast audience and they could not have been disappointed with this version.
The band played a few more, including “Goodbye Horses†which was written by William Garvey and made famous by Q Lazarus and the film “The Silence of the Lambsâ€. The song had extra special meaning as lead singer Mikel Jollett revealed a bit about his personal relationship with Mr. Garvey who passed away less than twenty-four hours prior to the show (details here).
It is a great song for sure, and one that had a little extra meaning on this night. The band closed out their set with even more energy than they had shown all night. They have quite a stage presence and were very active throughout the set; it was very clear that the small stage at the Mad Hatter did not give the band all the freedom they wanted or needed. Throughout the night violinist and sometimes keyboardist Anna Bulbrook was running around all night and even climbed the drum kit a time or two. Their show, and those that go see them play, will definitely benefit with a bigger place and a bigger stage in the months and years to come.
They finished with a two song encore, which started as all five members banged on the drums for a minute plus, and wrapped up with the album closer “Innocenceâ€. Over the course of the night, Airborne showed that they are definitely in the conversation when it comes to the argument about the next “big†band. They play a catchy brand of pop with smart lyrics and very good musicianship. It was clear that while they are out there having fun and building a fan base, their days in small venues are limited. In fact, they come back through the Midwest on October 21 when they play the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH. In the meantime, after Lollapalooza, they head off to Europe and then to Australia continuing to build their worldwide fan base.
