A Very Happy, TV On The Radio @ The Wiltern [LA; 11/06/08, w/Yeah Yeah Yeahs cameo]

If someone had asked me who I’d want to see play the day after Obama’s victory, my answer would probably be: "Radiohead or Bruce Springsteen or…Public Enemy." It would be nice to imagine though, after a long, hard-thought pause, that I’d blurt out something as on-point as TV On The Radio.

It hit me as I sat down and not a second earlier. We could never have lined it up three months ago when the tickets were purchased, but TVOTR fit this bill with an eerily poignant significance.

This year’s release, Dear Science, trumpets a new era for the NYC "art-rock"-ers. While the political undertones are still there, the rage has been re-channeled. Even the LP's harshest moments are coated with funky horns and hand-claps. I take this album as a chaotic yet optimistic indication of the times. It has hope, thus making Thursday’s show all the more triumphant.

From the 10+ artists on stage, I can recall only one, just once, saying anything during the rapid-fire set. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe broke the noise with a question, "Everybody pleased with the choices of earlier in the week?" That’s really all he had to say.

Although the sound was slightly distorted from our balcony seats, the celebration spoke as clear as 364 electoral votes.

They favored the new tracks of Dear Science, as perhaps the night’s energy called for its big band grooves. They started the encore with (what I feel to be the strongest on the new album), “Crying.” In its final notes, a flood of friends came on stage including the opening band, The Dirtbombs, and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner and Karen O. Everyone found something to hit, and the percussion of 2006's “A Method” brought the night to a peak. Much of the video I took below covers me trying to figure out if that was the YYYs or not. Looks like I know a Nick Zinner when I see one (even wikipedia says "He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance").

“Staring at the Sun”, the hit that launched them into existence, was the proper way to close it all.

"you're staring at the sun
you're standing in the sea
your mouth is open wide
you're trying hard to breathe
the water's at your neck
there's lightning in your teeth
your body's over me"

After 4 years, that claustrophobic chorus finally felt out-dated. Right on.

You can stream the excellent, Dear Science, in its entirety on their myspace.

Here's the video I took of "A Method" encore. It gets better after the 1:35 mark.


and this is an above average one of "Golden Age" taken by someone else that night:


and this is what that song actually looks like

and sounds like:
Download | TV On The Radio | Golden Age

Download | TV On The Radio | Crying