Grapevine Airwaves 2011

October 16, 2011

From Gloom To Gloam

Endless Dark at Gaukurinn by Skari

Music Overview

  • Artists: Endless Dark, Pétur Ben & Eberg, Lights on the Highway
  • Venue:  Glaumbar
  • Time:  Saturday
  • The Good:  Kira Kira kept me company.
  • The Bad:  Dashboard Confessional crossed with Nelson.
  • Reviewed by: a.rawlings
  • Photo: Endless Dark at Glaumbar by Skari

Hell hath no fury like a reviewer in a vacant Glaumbar. Scant attendees appeared to be a cross-section of band members, friends of band or staff, and a handful of UK rockers who took one look at the near-empty room and promptly left. The trendy “boatmosphere” of Glaumbar could appeal most weeknights, but the Airwaves death knell threatened to toll long before the headliners took the stage.

Endless Dark was Dashboard Confessional crossed with Nelson (not in a good way), was Backstreet Boys crossed with Our Lady Peace (and lacking all awesome). Their third song slightly redeemed a descent into my own endless dark, with supporting femme vocals and harmonies reminiscent of Blind Melon’s Mouthful of Cavities. Ultimately forgettable Endless Dark did little to leave a mark with a 20-minute set, though for once in the land of Airwaves, I was thankful for brevity.

The wholly listenable amalgam of Pétur Ben & Eberg brought viscous rock with shades of Tool’s best opening their set. PB&E exposed a vein for the audience’s sustenance. A mid-set ballad suitably slowed down the vibe and provided opportunity for sweet falsetto harmony. Their stylistic range guarantees PB&E as a pleasurable pick for any future concert.

With adequate change-over times, it’s curious that the lackadaisical Glaumbar offered delays with the start of all final three acts. Still, Lights on the Highway made up for the wait with a slick final performance. For a crowded bar, Lights wandered through their pretty rock á la Alice in Chains. Mellow and brooding, Lights on the Highway provided a welcome finale to the gloom of Glaumbar.



About the Author

a.rawlings
a.rawlings
a.rawlings is a poet, arts educator, and interdisciplinary artist who has published and performed work in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, and the United States. Her first book, Wide slumber for lepidopterists (Coach House Books, 2006) received an Alcuin Award for Design. In 2009 and 2010, rawlings was the recipient of a Chalmers Arts Fellowship, enabling her to develop and present new work in Belgium, Canada, and Iceland. Most recently, she was selected the 2012 Queensland Poet-in-Residence; during her tenure, she spent three months in Australia developing an interdisciplinary project that combines poetry, acoustic ecology, and counter-mapping. She loves in Reykjavík.




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