Review and Photos: Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos! could have easily been terrible live but frontman Gareth is able to conduct the seven-piece in what is most easily described as a full-on post-punk symphony with just a hint of clutter. Gareth also manages to come off as likeable despite his prissy complaining. The latest effort in their rapidly growing catalogue, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, made up part of the night’s set list while Hold On Now, Youngster… rounded it out. While Doomed doesn’t quite match the handful of songs that floated around in their 2005-06 beginnings, the songs seemed as though they were built for the stage.

Los Campesinos! was able to keep the energy level high thanks to Titus Andronicus’ blistering set that finale-d with their self-titled single. Gareth kept the crowd on their toes by switching up the lyrics in “Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #1” from “Do you kiss your mummy’s lips with that mouth?” to “Do you suck you daddy’s dick with those lips?” and while it may have gone right over a lot of the crowds head, I caught it, a nice touch.

“My Year In Lists” was one of the many crowd-pleasers. The standout track on Doomed, “Miserabilia”, inspired Andronicus’ frontman to stage-dive into the crowd, before they segued into their surprisingly good rendition of my new-found favorite, “This Is How You Spell….”

Both Titus Andronicus and Los Campesinos! went above and beyond the required gratitude for each other; each seemed happy to play with one another, and even more so to be with each other on the first three weeks of their tour. Spirits were unusually high on the Saturday night due in part to the nicest weather Chicago’s had in what seems like months and because, as Gareth noted, “This is the biggest indoor crwod we’ve ever played to.” Gareth did share his secret to ensure crowd participation, name-dropping; “Just say the name of the city you’re playing in”, he joked.

The song “Knee Deep At ATP” embodies the lyrical genius of Los Campesinos!; while each of their songs have at least one brilliant line, (ie. “I still cherish the day (before) I met you,”) “ATP” is an onslaught of amazing imagery, and clever story-telling. “Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks” and “You! Me! Dancing!” two songs that are impossible to mess up, went over well. “Broken Heartbeats” finished off the set as an encore to a brilliant set that only missed “It Started With A Mixx,” and “Please Don’t Tell Me To Do the Math(s)”.

Overall, both bands made a testament to great contemporary music, and it was nice to see a sold-out crowd go home thoroughly content.

The Set List:

Ways To Make It Through The Wall
International Tweexcore Underground
Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #1
My Year In Lists
Drop It Doe Eyes
Death To Los Campesinos
Miserabilia
This Is How You Spell “Hahaha We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics”
Knee Deep At ATP
All Your Kayfabe Friends
Get The Fuck Out Of This Town (It’s Dancing Intro)
You! Me! Dancing!
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks
—–
Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats (Encore)

Check out photos of the night below…

Review by Joe O’Fallon Photos by Andy Keil