This week has brought the first signs of winter here in Dallas. We actually had snow on Wednesday morning. That’s right snow in Dallas! Needless to say that venturing out for anything other than the necessities has gotten harder and harder to do. But I received some free tickets to the Fanfarlo/Freelance Whales show at The Loft and was not going to miss out on this no matter what Mother Nature threw my way. We’ve posted about both of these bands in the past but it wasn’t until I knew that I was going to the show that I found out that Freelance Whales was the opening act which was just extra special incentive to not miss out.

The night opened with a local Fort Worth band called Telegraph Canyon, an Americana folk act that there are just too many comparisons to list but I’ll try. Mix in some Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses and the epic beard of Sam Beam and you’ll start to get a taste of what I heard last night. The group played a relatively short set of songs off their latest album The Tide and The Current and got the room in the mood for the remaining acts.

A solid opening act is crucial to a good show. If you have an act that is not in line with what will be heard the remainder of the evening or is just flat and stiff then the rest of the night will reflect that. Telegraph Canyon was neither. The violinist was especially good now that I realize I played in the high school orchestra with her.

After a stage reset Freelance Whales began their set. I’ve mentioned before that Freelance Whales is an unsigned band from New York but what I found out last night is that they are on their first tour outside of the great state of NY. I would never have believed this fact if you told me after the show as they presented themselves as road warriors. The set was tight and they showed no signs of jitters or nervousness on their first trip to Dallas.

Audiences are becoming more refined in what they want to hear so bands need to bring something different to the stage whether it be new instruments or a great stage show. Freelance Whales brought both in toting along with them on the road instruments that I have never seen before, namely the harmonium and waterphone and using tin watering cans to provide some extra percussion.

This group is quite a bit harder to pigeon hole into a predetermined category. There are laces of folk that are delivered via banjo but mostly the songs fall under more of an indie pop umbrella with catchy hooks and four part harmonies. Each track has a kind of child like aura to it which could be due the fact that none of the members look a day over 25.

Anticipation was building as sound checks went on for Fanfarlo to begin their set. Although still a very unknown band in the music scene everyone there knew what they were in for and couldn’t wait much longer for it. As the band took the stage I was reminded of the common appearance of the group. There is nothing here that shouts “musical savants”. If they were to be put in a line up no one would ever pick them out as one of the best baroque pop bands touring today. I believe that they use this to their advantage in what I like to call the “Susan Boyle Effect”. You may all remember the look on the judges face when Susan Boyle took the stage in Britain’s Got Talent and then proceeded to blow them away. I’m sure that Fanfarlo has had this effect on many people over the last few years.

The show started out light with just three of the members taking the stage to play “Finish Line” and the remaining three coming on afterward to really get the show started. The stage presence was immense as the band continually exchanged instruments throughout. Switching instruments during a show used to be a novelty act for a band. Something that would be done as an extra little treat for the audience on the last song but Fanfarlo, and Freelance Whales for that matter, do it as a common occurrence, not to boast their abilities but to squeeze every bit of layering that they can into each song.

They proceeded to play nearly every song from their fantastic 2009 release Reservoir and hit all the high points along the way with “I’m A Pilot”, “Luna”, “Harold T. Wilkins”, “The Walls Are Coming Down” and came back for an encore to play “Ghost”. They also managed to squeeze in a brand new track called “Waiting In The Wings”.

Overall the night was a huge success. Each act built on the next like a perfect game of Jenga with the whole thing crashing us back down to reality with the closing chords of “Ghost” and forcing us back out into the cold night. But at least we had great songs ringing in our ears.

December 4, 2009
Categories: Concert Reviews . Tags: Fanfarlo, Freelance Whales, Telegraph Canyon, The Loft . Author: Patrick

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