Biffy Clyro | Editors
Park West - Chicago
September 11th 2007

Talk about your mini festival. Three acts descended on Park West in Chicago that were so significantly different than the last that it could have been billed as a mini-Lollapalooza. The first was Ra Ra Riot. Still carrying the heavy hearts onstage in memory of their late drummer John Pike, the Syracuse troop forged ahead with its brand of pop punk. Like that of Voxtrot or Los Campesinos, the large act paraded around on stage thru a slick set that included majority of their recent EP. Standout tracks like ‘Dying is Fine’ and ‘Can You Tell?’ were easy crowd pleasers.

Biffy Clyro were arguably the most notable of the ticket. Their music has explored a quasi rollercoaster over a three album catalogue, cutting punk but sandpapering it to pop rock in the later years. Where one stands on their multiple changes is irrelevant, however, once you catch them live. Both ‘Living Is A Problem’ and ‘Folding Stars’ tore the stage up and offered the best shocker for the downhearted Smiths fans waiting for the Editors. It also may have well showed them up. On their upcoming album, Puzzles, they flirt with pop grandeur but tonight they were nothing but rock geniuses on stage; parry and jousting along shake and strike jangles larger than their parts. Simply put, these guys rock on stage.

The Editors, seemingly the answer to those who like Interpool but tire of their lack of range and darkness, played a mixed bag set. Clean, melancholy at times while rocking at others, lead Tom Smith seemed spellbound with his talent. Like an artist pulling away from his painting to admire, Smith seemed to showboat like the best thru a set that included a fantastic ‘Munich’ and ‘The Weight’.

images © Sean Kendall | Pensatos