!!! - MERCURY LOUNGE, 12.30.04

Above all else, !!! are a live band. I suppose that's the point but it's amazing just how much better their songs get live. Last Thursday's late show at the Mercury Lounge was my first time seeing them, but my 3rd real attempt. I followed the hype to their Knitting Factory show almost 3 years ago, before I even knew their name, but it was sold out. When they played Centro-Fly, I had Shins tickets. And then there's the Siren Festival in the mix but the sound and vision couldn't have been much worse so I don't count it.

Along the way, I became a big fan of their self-titled debut and a not-so-big fan of Louden Up Now. I usually don't mind lyrics but Louden Up Now's are so awful in spots that they got in the way of the music, enough for me to give up on the record pretty quickly. Live, the lyrics are far more incidental, the grooves much thicker, and the songs sounded leagues better to me. (Louden has new life in my stereo.) There was so much going on - percussion, horns, guitars, more percussion - that you just focused on the groove versus specific parts, which is how I assume they want it - I have never seen so much of the crowd dancing at a show before. (And actually, the clean delay on Tyler Pope's guitar was great and pretty easy to latch onto.)

"Hello? Is This Thing On?" was the early highlight but the show peaked at the end of their 80-minute (or so) set, first with the epic "Me and Giuliani Down By The School Yard" and then closer "Intensify," the only song from their debut all night. I sense I have not given "Giuliani" enough love - soon enough. It was amazing on Thursday, almost triumphant. And by the end it was pretty clear to me why their shows always sell out and just as clear that I'll be back next time.