I saw Monsters of Folk at the Schnitz last night. Here's a quick rundown, in a convenient, bullet point format:

The crowd was incredibly polite and acted like they were at a symphony. They politely sat in their in seats and nodded along to the music. The band even commented on how low-key they were and thanked everyone for behaving so well. Mosh pits? No, there were no mosh pits.

Monsters of Folk are a Traveling Whilburys-type "super-group" composed of (Portland's own) M. Ward and members from Bright Eyes and My Morning Jacket. Despite the talent on stage, the Schnitz was only about 1/3 full. It's a shame because it was a pretty good set. Maybe it was because Star Wars: In Concert was going down over at the Rose Garden. Can folk rock really compete against the awesome power of a full symphony orchestra, Anthony Daniels and Queen Amidala's headpiece from Episode 1? Guess not.

One of the guys from My Morning Jacket pointed out that the ornate columns that overlook the stage at the Schnitz look like two giant fish that are about to swoop down into the crowd. I never thought about them that way but, yeah, that's a pretty good description. What are those things?

That M. Ward? He can shred on acoustic guitar.

You can't kill folk n' roll. No matter how low-key or poorly-attended a set might prove. The band was still playing after being on stage for over two hours and thirty minutes.

Labels: music