Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires

[rlipps]

Yeah, I was hoping once the new album dropped that they'd expand the set a little, but doesn't seem to be the case so far.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Every single time I've saw them, whether it be as the main act or opener, it's been 10-12 songs and around an hour.

Interesting. Thanks.

It was a bummer that no one was really there. They still played their ass off like it was 25,000 people instead of just 25.

I was just surprised by the length, but it was about 10 songs. So that makes sense.

I'm really disappointed by the number of folks who attend their shows. The most I've ever seen was in Athens in March and there were 50-60 people there. They really should have a larger following. Hopefully the new label and management will help.

[beantownbubba]

It's interesting - it's not like there are written rules about these things, but almost since i started going to concerts i've always believed that a headlining gig in any size venue means at least a 1 hour set. I'm not totally sure why I came to believe that w/ so much certainty (a contributing factor is that i have seen a number of performance contracts that require a show of at least 60 minutes) but it seems reasonable and mostly borne out in practice. Sort of like, an hour show may seem short but you know you can't complain; a 45 minute show may be a total barnburner but you might still feel cheated. I'm kinda surprised that a band as well know as this one is for its live performances can't even eek out an hour long set. I'm glad i know now, though. If I didn't I'd be heading for some serious disappointment next month.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I've only seen 'em a couple times. The first, they played to a near empty house at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, the second was to a much larger crowd at Slim's in Raleigh. Both times, the set ran roughly an hour in length. Given the energy they put into it (which is best described as relentless), I'd say that might have something to do with the brevity. Or maybe it's just a hit n' run, punk rock type thing.

[RevMatt]

When I talked with Blake he said they have around 20 to 25 songs they play and they try to rotate them. As for the length of the set, that is determined by the venue. Every time I've seen them there have been three to four bands on the bill. If The Glory Fires are headlining they will get an hour in that situation. Otherwise it is 45 minutes. In most cases they are paired with a local band who is also a good draw.

The Glory Fires do well in NYC. Last fall I caught them at The Mercury Lounge on a Monday night. They drew over 50 people. In Feb. they did a show in Brooklyn with three other bands and there were 75 to 80 people in the place including a bunch of music journalists. In NJ, however, it is a different story. 15 people in somebody's basement in New Brunswick. Lee attended NYU and his brother lives in New York so he does have some ties in the city.

[linkous]

Well if they ever make it big nobody can say they haven't paid their dues. I thought the due paying thing was a long gone concept in this day and age of instant communication and info via the web where bands are "big" before they even release a record. However if they are only playing to 50 or so people nowadays, imagine this was 20 years ago. They might well be playing to the proverbial man and a dog.

[Zip City]

Shortest headlining act I ever saw was Mavis Staples, which was one hour without an opener

[RevMatt]

Shortest headlining act I ever saw was Mavis Staples, which was one hour without an opener

When I was in high school I caught Johnny Thunders at The Show Place in Dover, NJ. He played one song and left.

[rlipps]

The Glory Fires did an in-studio session at KEXP that will air tonight at 10:30 EST on www.KEXP.org

[one belt loop]

Great show last Friday night! I brought a friend who arrived curious and left converted.

[rlipps]

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/201 ... erview.php

[Jack Flash]

My review of Dereconstructed just went up on Slant Magazine:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/revi ... onstructed

[beantownbubba]

My review of Dereconstructed just went up on Slant Magazine:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/revi ... onstructed

"It's certainly not a lack of conviction that led to this decision, but rather a belief that any message, no matter how righteous on its own right, is much more palatable when backed by kickass rock n' roll music."

Well done, sir.

[Gang Green]

My review of Dereconstructed just went up on Slant Magazine:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/revi ... onstructed

"It's certainly not a lack of conviction that led to this decision, but rather a belief that any message, no matter how righteous on its own right, is much more palatable when backed by kickass rock n' roll music."

Well done, sir.

Ditto

[rlipps]

Glory Fires on KUTX Austin

[rlipps]

Saw Lee and the Glory Fires this past Friday at Zanzabar in Louisville. Pretty decent crowd, I'm not good as estimating, but I'd say 60-70 people. Lee said from the stage they'd played in Louisville several times and you could add up all those crowds and it would be less than the crowd there on Friday, so I think they were happy with it. I've probably seen them 6 or 7 times now, and my buddy and I both agreed this was probably our favorite. They are also energetic, but they seemed extra enthused, especially Eric. He and Lee both ended up in the crowd at times, and some dude basically had Lee in a headlock while he soloed during one song.

As for the set, it was too short, which is the norm. 11 or 12 songs, about 50-55 minutes. They played everything from the new album except Mississippi Bottomland and then played 2 or 3 from Gilead. Lee broke a string on his primary guitar a few songs in, grabbed his backup and proceeded to break one on it soon after. Eric came over and offered up his guitar, so Lee played a solo version of Roebuck Parkway while Eric sat on the stage and put a new string on for Lee.



Crowd was really into it, as it got progressively more and more crowded up front as the show went on. A great time with some great dudes. Got to chat with Eric for about an hour before the show and then talked to him and Lee after at the merch table. Speaking of merch, they had 3 new shirts since the last time I saw them in April, so I picked up all of them.



Here's a few more pics from the show:

[beantownbubba]

Tonight! Anyone else going?

[Jonicont]

Friday for me

[nutfat]

sunday for me!!!!!!!!

[Gang Green]

Sunday in Philly with FreeFall and possibly one of the junior GGers.

[beantownbubba]

Lessons learned:

1. A 3 band lineup on a school night is a bad, bad idea.
2. Never schedule an 8 am meeting the morning after a 3 band rock n roll club show.

Anyway, moving right along:

Excellent show, totally in line w/ what's been previously reported: Short and hard, basically running thru the Dereconstructed album at maximum speed and volume. Lee is a charismatic and energetic frontman and the rest of the band is right w/ him. They look like a great rock n roll band Musically, this was basically punk w/ solos, played by guys who can really play. Nothing from "Bomb" which was mildly disappointing after rlipps' report of some of those songs resurfacing last week, but not really expected, so not a big deal. I was glad i knew to expect the show to be short, I might have been disappointed otherwise, but at 8 bucks I sure got more than my money's worth.

The biggest surprise to me (though that may be overstating it a bit) is just how good these guys are as musicians. They stretched out on a couple of songs (relatively speaking anyway) which helped make the point, but it was obvious throughout. They can play and they are terrific as a unit.

As all reports have had it, the band members are really good people. Talked to Lee a bit, Eric a lot, and adam and blake briefly. Open, down to earth and smart. They seemed to remember all the people who asked me to say hi for them, which was nice to see.

Small crowd, which seemed to bother me more than the band, though it did include celebrities BostonREB and bleusie. Always a pleasure, guys. Most of the crowd seemed to be friends of the first band, so by the time LB3 went on there were probably fewer than 30 people in the audience and it was closer to 20 by the end of the show. But that didn't seem to affect the band's commitment at all. They were all in which was thrilling - the way rock's supposed to be.

Extra flavor: Blake has long hair and sometimes it would fall forward and completely cover his face and he would continue playing w/out brushing or flicking it back. Reminded me of cousin it when he did that Lee introduced a couple of the songs by explaining why he wrote them or what they're about. I didn't catch every word but it was interesting stuff and added to my enjoyment of the show.

2 concerns:

We've talked a lot here about what separates the good from the ordinary and the great from the good, and high on the list is the songs themselves. Lee writes really, really good ones and it's a shame he chooses to bury the lyrics in the aural assault. A number of people have made that comment about the new album but it applies doubly live. As the band presents itself, they probably appeal to only a fraction of their potential audience because not only are the lyrics impossible to decipher but in some cases even the structure of the songs (chord changes, choruses, etc) get lost in the race to be fastest and loudest. And the balls out pedal to the metal pace is not really good showmanship outside CBGB's. Not too much of a problem for someone who knows the songs and really likes the band, and compensated for by their energy and how well they do what they do, but it's hard to see how newbies other than punk fans can possibly pick up on what's really going on in the songs and want to hear more.

Second, one of the things I really like about this band is the broad range of their influences and how you can hear those influences flow through the songs. This got kind of lost last nite. Adam would occasionally throw in some soul oriented riffs on bass and blake would sometimes respond on drums, but that was the exception.

Don't misunderstand: I had a great time at the show and thought the band played great. It's just that when I really like a band, especially a relatively unknown one, I root for them to have at least some commercial success and I fear that the band may not be maximizing its chances w/ its current approach.

Edited once for grammar. Wouldn't want Weird Al on my case.

[tinnitus photography]

where'd they play?

[BostonREB]

They played at Great Scott.

Great show from them although, I too wish they'd extend the set a bit more to at least say an hour. But you get balls to the wall in those 45 minutes. The new material sounded great although I have to agree with Bubba, I wish they would elevate Lee's vocals a bit more. He's got a great voice and sometimes it just gets a bit lost in the sauce.

And once again, I have to be embarrassed for Boston and it's lack of support for a great band like LBIII & The Glory Fires. I think Bubba's count may be a bit high. I thought there were about 20 people when they started and less than that by the close. Their loss. I don't think the hipsters that drive a lot of Boston's music scene get the Glory Fires. Again, their loss. At least the first opener, local act Forts Gainesville, filled the place up so hopefully that equaled some cash in the pockets of LB3 & GF. Then again, at $8 a ticket, it probably wasn't much. $8 to see Lee Bains. That's just like stealing.

[tinnitus photography]

i remember seeing The Drones (all the way in from Australia) on halloween night a few years ago at TT's.

there were about 15 people there.

[Smitty]

We've talked a lot here about what separates the good from the ordinary and the great from the good, and high on the list is the songs themselves. Lee writes really, really good ones and it's a shame he chooses to bury the lyrics in the aural assault. A number of people have made that comment about the new album but it applies doubly live. As the band presents itself, they probably appeal to only a fraction of their potential audience because not only are the lyrics impossible to decipher but in some cases even the structure of the songs (chord changes, choruses, etc) get lost in the race to be fastest and loudest. And the balls out pedal to the metal pace is not really good showmanship outside CBGB's. Not too much of a problem for someone who knows the songs and really likes the band, and compensated for by their energy and how well they do what they do, but it's hard to see how newbies other than punk fans can possibly pick up on what's really going on in the songs and want to hear more.

That's the reason I can't really get into their new album as much as I want to.

[Barely_Oakely]

Woo! September 6th @ the Turf Club in St Paul. Love the venue. I can't wait.

[cortez the killer]

i remember seeing The Drones (all the way in from Australia) on halloween night a few years ago at TT's.

there were about 15 people there.

Saw Blue Mountain 5 or 6 years ago a TT's. Maybe twelve people there. Maybe.

[Jonicont]

Over 100 folks last night. A number of them my age sitting around on the sides. Chatted with Jane, a friend of Lee's brother. He had a few people out for the show. Not bad for a show that started after midnight. I was on the rail with babycont. She knew all the words and managed to mouth them at the breakneck speed of the performance. I was also informed that it was not late (clearly evidenced by the mardi gras sized crowds on the streets after the show). Show was fantastic as has been voiced already. Agree with Bubba. Don't know how well this can translate outside of the club milieu

[Van]

In for Sunday in Philly!

[rlipps]

In regards to the vocals being buried in the mix, I don't remember that being the case last summer when I saw them open for DBT at Track 29 in Chattanooga, but I could be mistaken. I'd be curious to see if anybody saw them open for the Alabama Shakes back in the spring and find out what the mix was like for those shows, and I'll also hope to see what some of you guys report when they open for DBT again in a few months. The size of the room and quality of the sound system might have something to do with it, or they could be purposely mixing the vocals that way, who knows. While it doesn't really bother me, like BTB said, I am familiar with the songs and I can see how it might be a deterrent for someone who isn't.