So after ping-ponging between two continents, I’ve finally settled down in my new hometown of Portland — one of the self-described indie-Meccas of the US. So instead of draggin’ out the “what I did over summer vacation” by filing a steady stream of posts that could easily be carried into the next decade, I decided to assemble most of the live shows I witnessed (and recorded) into a condensed three-part article. So without further ado, let’s pick up where I left off:

I was fully expecting the Antony & The Johnsons to be my final European concert, however, I noticed that Swedish indie-pop act Love Is All was playing in the basement of a bar with a known capacity of about fifty. Although this was two days before I left by train to Denmark and I needed to pack up all my shit, I decided this was too good of an event to pass up.

For a crowd of twenty die-hard fans, you really couldn’t have asked for a better show. Love Is All brought their patented high-energy act, tearing through their sophomore album A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night in its entirety while still sprinkling in highlights from their critically acclaimed debut Nine Times The Same Song (playing not one, but TWO renditions of “Make Out Fall Out Make Up”). Not only was the music stellar, but the band was one of the most cordial of any I have ever met. Where most up-and-coming buzz-worthy bands would scoff at such a paltry showing of support, Love Is All embraced the intimacy and put on a one-of-a-kind show.

Once arriving back to Lubbock, Texas after a brief stint in Denmark defending my thesis, I didn’t have much break since experimental Baltimore act Ponytail and SoCal garage rockers Mika Miko were set to play on different occassions within my first eight days on American soil. Opening for both acts were local acid-rockers The Numerators.

Being how I witnessed the Numerators in their infancy right before I left to go to Europe, I must say I was impressed at how much their live act has improved. Sonically, the noise is “cleaner” and more directed than anything they’ve recorded and with their constant motion moving around the stage and into the crowd, they are by far one of the most entertaining acts I’ve seen. I can’t wait until they release an LP and start touring seriously because I think they have a bright future ahead of them.

As for the main headliners, both Ponytail and Mika Miko did not disappoint. Both had energetic vocalists, blistering your ears with their shouts and screams disguised as “singing”, however Ponytail’s Molly Siegel took the cake by contorting her face into indescribable positions in order to get just the right sound out. As expected, it didn’t take long before a small (but destructive) mosh started and people were hanging from the rafters.

Molly Siegel of Ponytail

Jenna Thornhill of Mika Miko

As for Mika Miko it was great to witness their raucous “don’t give a fuck attitude” that they seem to exhibit at every show they put on. With an endless supply of sub-three minute songs to rush through, Mika Miko easy packed more music into their 50 minute set than most headlining groups do in two hours. Unfortuantely, the group decided to disband earlier this month, so I won’t be able to witness the hurricane of sound from them ever again…

Well this is the end of the first part of my glorious return, tomorrow I’ll cover some more acts I caught over the summer in Lubbock as well as in Montreal and Portland. To tide you over, here are some mp3s from the mentioned acts:

Love Is All // New Beginnings

The Numerators // Strawberry Dreams

Ponytail // Beg Waves

Mika Miko // Turkey Sandwich