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"I think we all were kind of nervous about backlash, and there was all this talk about backlash, but we haven't experienced any of it," says Brandin Lea of Flickerstick, perhaps hoping to keep things on a positive spin. After all, it is a mere hour or so before the band he fronts takes the stage to a sold-out Metro on a Saturday night. Any band that was unknown outside of their hometown six months ago would have a hard time not being pleased.
It was a little over six months ago that Flickerstick were last in Chicago as part of VH1's 'Bands on the Run', a flavour of Reality TV that pitted four unsigned bands against each other on a tour around the country for two months. The exposure the band garnered from that show is directly responsible for the packed house they are about to play for. The newfound fans that lined up well over an hour before the doors opened have been primed by over 15 weeks of seeing the band on television. Any "backlash" the band might have been worried about would not be found amongst them. It is difficult to say, however, where they will be six months from now.
Critical reception of the band has been less than fanatical. They have been tagged as the "least mediocre" of the four bands appearing on the show, or as the dreaded "corporate rock" band. Knee-jerk reactions, whether positive or negative, have been quick to follow the band. Their participation in VH1's experiment with Reality TV has catapulted them into a spotlight that many unsigned bands have striven for years to gain the attention of.
But if anyone begrudges Flickerstick the sudden attention, they should be careful. The material on their debut 'Welcoming Home the Astronauts' may not be exceptionally original, but pure pop melodies abound. The radio-ready production should cause the average indie rock fan to recoil as if the band were the new Vertical Horizons. Getting past the slick shine, however, reveals a closer resemblance to the much-lauded Guided By Voices. The most hardened of critical souls will cry blasphemy at the suggestion, but the melodies are there.
Like Robert Pollard's troupe from Dayton, Flickerstick bow at the altar of British Rock. When queried about influences, Rex Ewing, one half of the quintet's guitar force, quips "I like anything British, pretty much." On a more serious note, the band point to At The Drive-In and Pete Yorn as two recent favourites. Yorn is playing the following night at the much smaller Schuba's a few blocks away, and the band will be using a rare night off to catch the highly anticipated show.
With all that is promising on 'Astronauts', it should be noted that not all of the tracks are winners. 'You're So Hollywood' in particular stinks of 80s radio excess. Even if the intention is to point out the crap in Tinsel Town, this tune should have made its way to the trash bin. Lyrical phrases at times try too hard to be clever. "I'd like to buy the world a Coke, and lie here naked with my girl," sings Lea on 'Coke', and while this kind of catchphrase hi-jacking may be viewed as insightful when compared to mountains of schlock forced on the masses these days, it really doesn't mean all that much.
But all of these finer points go out the window when these Texas boys take the stage. This is a band that has its live performance together. The group opened its set in Chicago with two undeniably strong singles, 'Smile' and 'Beautiful'. The former has gotten the nod for their debut video, while the latter is arguably one of the catchiest singles of the past year. Casting anthem-fuelled pop before the masses, Flickerstick kept the energy level high and the audience involved.
Throughout the evening the band looked every bit the headliners. As Brandin played to the crowd, Rex assumed the manic stage presence fans were hoping for. Claiming stage left as his own, he alternated between the cool slice-and-dice posture of Pete Buck and the crazed whirling of Pete Townshend. Cory Kreig held down the more rational end of the guitar duties, handling the more delicate fretwork, while meshing tightly with Fletcher Lea on bass and Dominic Weir on drums.
A searing cover of 'Black Metallic' by the Catherine Wheel fit in well with the feel of the evening, despite an audience that was largely unaware of the semi-hit from the early 90s. The obligatory encore included 'Coke', which gained the most response from the crowd, and the epic 'Direct Line to the Telepathic', clocking in at over nine minutes before dissolving into a haze of feedback and hum.
Any band in the pop music game faces a crapshoot, and Flickerstick have just grabbed a large pot to play with. They can play it safe and take what they've got so far, or risk it all on a new challenge. Radiohead (whose early sound is cited frequently when describing Flickerstick) broke big with 'Creep', a largely unremarkable sounding single at the time of its release. Their subsequent albums began to stretch their sound in ways that lost the casual fan, but ultimately won them the much more dedicated fan base they now enjoy.
Flickerstick are close to completing a deal with Epic records, and there are plans to remix and re-release 'Astronauts'. Hopefully some of the live energy the band put forth will be better translated to the new recording. Tentative release is scheduled for later this year. Stay tuned.
http://www.kindamuzik.net/live/flickerstick/flickerstick-reality-check/870/
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