What the fuck? Saints & Lovers played last night? I figured the reason that Dr. Dog went on so late was because Saints & Lovers couldn't make it. And yeah, when I got there, around 8:45, I heard the guys at the door saying that the first band was going on at 9, 9:15 the latest. What a crock.

I agree with MC that Dr. Dog were quite nice and that they sounded alot like The Beatles, but I picked up their album and it is dreadful/unlistenable. Regardless, I wouldn't mind seeing them live again.

This isn't your sinister, meat-eating alter-ego, is it?

And CHYSY should be ashamed of themselves for forgetting to tell the crowd that there was a band on after them.

I swear its not me. =)

And I'm guilty of leaving after CYHSY too - not because I don't like Saints & Lovers, but because it was just too late on a work night. I felt bad about it.

Walking out, I wondered if anyone knew there was even another band playing.

Well honestly, I walked out DURING CYHSY. I really like their CD, but a combination of me being tired, a horrible sound mix, and honestly a dissapointing live show made me decide that taking that 12:30 bus sounded like a great idea.
I thought Dr. Dog were pretty entertaining. They really won over the crowd that was just trying to talk and have drinks at this point. Dirty on Purpose, however, was an absolute mess. They came across really dorky and the sound guy didn't help with what ended up being a loud pounding sonic blur with completely inaudible vocals. The mix was so loud and the band so uninteresting that the crowd talked extremely loud to each other in an attempt to entertain themselves. Loud mix + Loud crowd = my ears pounding.
Then CYHSY came out and thoroughly underwhelmed me. I know they are being unfairly compared to Arcade Fire but I couldn't help but compare the two live experiences. They were polar opposits in terms of stage presence and energy. I decided to leave abotu 3/4th through their set and there was a solid stream leaving with me. As a walked out a Southpaw worker was heard saying "this is a hard band to handle." Indeed.

Josh, I think you were a victim of your expectations. CYHSY are a good little songwriter-driven indie pop band, that's all, and I think Ounsworth has tons of stage presence. If you're looking for the bleeding-heart passion of an Arcade Fire -- who I love, both live and on CD -- you're looking in the wrong place.

Sound mix was fine for me, though the synths were a little loud.

Putting up a site on the internet means getting some negative comments once in awhile. If you can't handle it, take the site down. Featuring them as content is just stupid.

Yeah J you're right. They weren't that bad from the pop-band perspective. And the band is relatively young. I haven't written them off or anything, it just was a bit underwhelming given the hype.

And honestly, Dirty on Purpose had given me such a headache that I was kind of not into CHYSY from the start. Oh and about the sound mix, I'm a stickler (aka dickhead) about that stuff. Its actually quite annoying that my brain focuses on the mix so much instead of the music, but when I know that I simple EQ adjustment would make the band sound 10 times better it drives me nuts. Also he was way too on top of that microphone. Gotta let it breathe!

I thought this was supposed to be my moniker?

I enjoyed CYHSY's set on wed. The comparisons to Arcade Fire are unfair. They just didn't reach that same level of euphoric excitement that AF reaches live. Not a lot of bands can. CYHSY is a good band that just happened to make a great debut album that I can't seem to tire of, no matter how many listens...I wasn't too underwhelmed by their set, despite the poor sound and the fact that they didn't go on till midnight and I was hot and exhausted...
I don't understand's MCs comments about the harmonica..there's harmonica all over the CYHSY album, and seeing them live I can understand the Dylan influences Alec talks about in his interviews (the way he changed his vocal performance from the album a bit, too)...

"I enjoyed CYHSY's set on wed. CYHSY is a good band that just happened to make a great debut album that I can't seem to tire of, no matter how many listens...I wasn't too underwhelmed by their set, despite the poor sound and the fact that they didn't go on till midnight and I was hot and exhausted..." - agreed. My one complaint is that I found their set to be a tad anti-climatic, because they played my two fav songs, Is This Love? and The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth right at the top of the set.

You know, a big part of the problem can likely be attributed to venue. I love the idea of Southpaw--ie a nearby venue for a Brooklyn Carnivore like myself--but they could tweak a few things. The sound there rarely blows me away, and they've gotten into a horrible habit of starting shows an hour or more after the scheduled time. I'm saving all my money to catch the new blogger sensation Wednesday at the reliably half-hour late Mercury Lounge. (And I'll bet a drink to any taker that this actually will NOT be Scissor Sisters pseudonynously).

Just my .02:
BV don't feed those retarded humorless comment trolls. You just make them momentarily think they have lives.
Dr. Dog was a little better than Allright - but the management did Saints & Lovers a disservice by getting the night rolling so effing late. Not all of us can roll out of bed and turn on our computer to work at 11:00 a.m.
Really disliked Dirty on Purpose. Manhattan Carnie hit it on the head. Plus, SO EFFING LOUD! That said, they usually had a good 30 seconds at the end of every song where it "peaked", although they had to bore us to tears for ten minutes in order to get there. IF they're going to keep doing this they need to replace the lady with an editor.
CLAP: I second M.S. And the mix was MUDDY!
QUESTION: Can anyone tell me the NAME of the Dylan cover they encored? Hearing it took me back to my boom box teens, I loved it but the name escapes me.

Dylan cover was "Love Minus Zero/No Limit."

And I'll second -- or 13th -- the vote on Dirty on Purpose.

I did stay for Saints + Lovers, but left during their set. Not because they were bad -- they would have been fine, in DoP's slot -- but b/c it was almost 2AM.

Thank you Heart on a Stick. Great song. I can understand the temptation to mutilate - I mean cover it. I enjoyed the rest of their set though, despite the bad mix. It's interesting how, given the ascendency of music blogs, the timespan between the buzz and the backlash has shrunk to about 19 minutes. Most of the hating going on for the Clap seems to be because of big expectations meeting a decent band with fun tunes and potential. Oh, and their annoying name.

The sound at Southpaw blows. I live close by and have gone to at least 15 shows there since it opened. Maybe twice has the sound been acceptable. It's just a huge blast of noise regardless of how the band plays.

One thing about how Clap Hands didn't mention the band on after them---if you're there to see a band, you'll stay. It's hardly an unforgivable act. Blame Southpaw for turning into Pianos Brooklyn with them starting shows an hour later than their supposed to.

Dr. Dog were pretty good. Dirty on Purpose have no personality at all. I like the Clap Hands band, definitely great musicians, and the songs are catchy too.

"if you're there to see a band, you'll stay." - yeah no shit, but who expects a band that was slated to be an opener to go on after the headliner???? A little heads up from anyone would have been nice.

whew. glad i went to see the andrew bird & keren ann concert that evening. i can't imagine that anyone left disappointed after seeing them. they were both mesmerizing.

and, upthread who purchased the dr. dog cd ('dreadful/unlistenable'.) give it another few listens. i bet it will grow on you. the album has its own enchanting charm. guaranteed.

I'm in the dark on Dr. Dog. They actually weren't as bad as I first thought when they opened for the New Pornographers at maxwell's. The guy with the dark sunglasses needs to lose them, and their best song "wake up" is so because it's an irish tune (not a complaint).

Southpaw is my least favorite venue too, and luckily Audrey warned on her site that the show would start late and go late.

Fix the sound and the time between sets and Southpaw would be so much better.

I thought the CYHSY was great, even if my ears did start dripping blood 35 seconds into the first song.

The problem is that people's expectations were high only because pitchfork gave them a good review, it snowballed, and a few bloggers and writers decided to hype the hell out the band. Now everyone learns that the band, while they are ok, are nothing special, and they wasted money on tickets, on a ride out to southpaw and back, and on tickets to a bowery show in two months.

the show was lame, no doubt about it. and people wanted to like it, you could feel it. they wanted to clap loud and cheer and hear everyone around them cheering, but they didn't. because the band just isnt that good. They aren't the band to get behind and make your own. there is no movement around them, and they just don't have the licks.

And yeah, even though it was late, they were total pricks for not telling the audience that there was another band playing after them. I thought that showed very low class.

Saints & Lovers kind of blow so no one missed anything. Picture a wannabe Jeff Buckley fronting Radiohead....zzzz. The guy with the nose & hat dates melody nelson so they end up on all these bills. You'd be better off catching them in a couple weeks somewhere. Yes, Clap Your Hands are arrogant but they're a good band and made a good cd. Nothing that'll change your life though.

Just a quick note from southpaw...

We do our best to stick to the advertised set times. Anyone who has ever worked in the venue business knows that this is easier said than done. For the poster who said we start shows an hour early, however, I have been with the club since day one and I can say that this has not ever happened...not once. Lineups change occasionally, but almost always due to circumstances beyond our control.

As far as sound goes, we get very few complaints, and I'd say that 99 percent of bands that play here are happy with the sound. Many are actually thrilled with it, so this comes as something of a surprise.

And p.s.
if you really dislike southpaw so much, don't come anymore. We appreciate your business, but don't aspire to be anyones "least favorite venue".
Go to northsix or something...