Sleigh Bells @ Terminal 5 (November 23, 2013)

Sleigh Bells brought their 2-night run at Terminal 5 to a close last night, bringing Danny Brown and Doldrums along for the fun once again.

I’ve caught a few truncated sets of Doldrums before, but this was easily the largest. It was my first time catching them since CMJ 2012, and since then they’ve released their debut album, Lesser Evil, and have embarked on quite a tour. They sounded even better than I imagine, and seem to be making a rise.

Danny Brown came next and got the crowd started with his DJ. By the time he came out, people were already ready to go nuts, and they did. Rap shows can always be hit and miss for me, but when someone goes as nuts as Danny Brown with a lot of amped up energy, it’s hard not to vibe along with it. He’s been getting more popular as the years go on, and I think things will only continue to rise for the rapper.

While Sleigh Bells new album Bitter Rivals failed to captivate me as much as their first two did, I still looked forward to seeing them live. These guys are a band that’s truly meant for the live setting. Live they are now a 4-piece band, with an additional guitarist and live drummer that add to all the controlled chaos.

Alexis Krauss honey sweet vocals are a sexy layer to the hard hitting guitar riffage of Derek E. Miller, and they do a lot of damage live. The heavy bass goes a long way with everything, creating a multitude of hard hitting elements that are really effective live. Even the new songs off Bitter Rivals that I’m still trying to bite into really got a boost live. A band like this needs a decent bit of space and loudness to give off the full effect. I forgot how hard songs like “Infinity Guitars”, “Kids”, and “Crown on the Ground” sounded live. Encore finisher “A/B Machines”, the song that really started it all, still delivers the punch, serving as a more than appropriate closer.

Krauss said that this is their last show for “Who the fuck knows how long,” so it may be a while until we see them play again, but with as satisfying show as last night’s, I’m perfectly fine with that.

Below I’ve posted the setlist, as well as photos from all three acts.

Setlist:

Minnie
Comeback Kid
Tiger Kit
Crown on the Ground
Bitter Rivals
Love Sick
True Shred Guitar
Kids
Demons
Born to Lose
You Don’t Get Me Twice
Riot Rhythm
Infinity Guitars
Encore:
Young Legends
Sing Like a Wire
A/B Machines

Danny Brown

Doldrums

Sleigh Bells: