Hatikvah
Unfortunately Israel has lost this volley with Hezbollah. And of course, throughout the Gaza strip and in Lebanon babies are being named “Hezbollah” and “Jihad” and the Arab street is lionizing Nasrallah. But whats truly unfortunate is that Hezbollah fought bravely, albeit with weapons from Syria and Iran. Though I am loathe to say that they fought fairly.
The problem is, to be frank, that we are applying laws of civility in dealing with an enemy that is anything but. How else to explain the wanton firing of missiles from civilian areas knowing that massive retaliation would be swift and vengeful and most certainly kill innocents? Of course there was the standard dithering from the UN and anti-semitism bubbling to the surface in the media and online. Hezbollah returns to cities laid bare by ruin, fighters killed and children vaporized. But to them it didn’t matter. They got what they wanted- publicity, image and their leadership spared well deserved death.
Of course, the next time around, Israel will have learned how to deal with these animals and I only hope the next foray between the forces of good (IDF) and evil (Arab terrorists) will result in swift decapitation of Nasrallah and all who stand with him!
Bloc Party review
It was a pool party on Saturday July 29th that brought Bloc Party, The Secret Machines and Mew to Brooklyn. McCarren Pool, the venue for this energetic show, is a former public swimming pool located in Greenpoint Brooklyn, a short walk from the Lorimer or Bedford Street stations. Built in the 1930’s by Robert Moses, McCarren Pool could hold 6800 sweltering swimmers, or for this show, about 3500 music devotees. Recently reopened for public use, this high profile concert was billed as a fundraiser for a coffer that already contains $23 million for refurbishment of the facility. However, much to the chagrin of neighborhood residents no progress has yet to be made by the city.
First to take the stage at 6:30pm was Mew, a new band from Copenhagen Invited by Bloc Party to open their American tour; this was their second US appearance. Their album, Mew and the Glass Handed Kites is just out here in the states and their four-song performance seemed to blend of Kings of Leon’s shaggy rock with a spacey lyrical component. This three-piece band is sure to make more of an impact as their fan base grows and more become attuned to their ambient and melodic sound. On the song Special, lead singer Jonas Bjerre sings, “You’re special, you’re like a rocket through me” and their show left many in the audience with a new special band who they can claim they discovered.
The Secret Machines, a New York City based trio of brother’s Ben (vocals/guitar) and Brandon (bass/keyboards/vocals) Curtis and drummer Josh Garza are two albums deep into their career, their most recent, Ten Silver Drops released only 3 months ago. They are rockers in every sense of the word, psychedelic and frenetic on stage, and this night was no exception. While their first album, Now Here is Nowhere is more stoner rock with heavy guitars, smashing drum lines and balls-out shredding, their new release finds a more melancholy and pensive band. The Machines are not content to let their guitars speak over the lyrics; one standout track performed mid way through their six song set was, “Alone, Jealous and Stoned”. This piece captures the mood of a recent heartbreak- its beginning is slow and poignant before coming to a crescendo with a mash of hard guitars, perhaps just as the subject of the song was melancholy before growing angry the longer he was alone with his thoughts. The raw setting of a massive concrete and brick structure was apt for the cohesive Secret Machines who left the stage with feedback blaring through the speakers.
The feature presentation, Bloc Party, arrived to raucous applause and a crowd that had swelled to fill in most of the six-acre pool floor. Their set included favorites like “Positive Tension” “Helicopter” and “Banquet” from first album Silent Alarm, and new songs from their sophomore album like “Hunting for Witches” that featured a similar melody and drumline as “Positive Tension”, but that is not a bad recipe to follow. Frontman Kele Okereke shows himself to be a cheeky and humorous bandleader with the right charisma to pull people into the music. The rest of the band has gusto of their own: drummer Matt Tong doffing his shirt and bringing the drumsticks down with crashing precision. Gordon Moakes whips furious screaming chords out of his guitar while bassist Russell Lissak is content to let his deep strumming bass lines speak for themselves. This performance was energetic with Okereke taking a lot of time to talk with the crowd and gauge their obvious enthusiasm. They are a band that loves to perform and one whose audience will only grow as more people are introduced to their infectious charm and head-bobbing music.
The fact that the show was held in an old swimming pool is an excellent metaphorical basis for thinking about this show. Mew is wading into the US with their music while the Secret Machines perform cannonballs of loud, brash guitar riffs and heavy drums. Bloc Party has already taken the plunge and is now working on diving back in with their second album. The crowd was a good mix of Brooklyn hipsters, top 40 teenagers excited to see Bloc Party and white collar professional couples in their late 20’s and 30’s content to be outside with each other and listen to fun music. Just like all good pool parties, this show had something for everyone and a good time was had by all
