Washed Out, Small Black & Pictureplane played two nights @ Mercury Lounge (pics & review), continue on tour

Great show. 100% co-sign on the addition of Small Black. He already sounded good solo but that brought a whole new level. New Theory and Feel It All Around never sounded better...

Had to leave this show early on Sunday before Small Black joined Washed Out on stage. Was a little disappointed in the show at that point but it looks like I missed the best part. Gotta say that Small Black was pretty solid by themselves though.

RIP CHILLWAVE

This was a great show. Both bands put on a solid performance. BTW, great pics!

Washed Out - a guy plays a 7" from the 80's on 33/rpm and a Pitchfork writer crawls up his ass. Pathetic.

Couldn't agree more. While the 1st half of the show was what I was expecting, the 2nd half was a pleasant surprise. Stepping up the game like that will only help him get to the next level. Well done - super fun show.

It's amazing how the sound quality of mp3's and people's shitty computer speakers have informed a entire genre of music. Everyone just got use to hearing bad quality audio so then peopel started making records that sound like that intentionally. Last night show was 100 boring---everyone going through the motions...like the day after a bad acid trip. Bring back Hi-Fi and real songwriting with dynamics and lyrics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bring back artistic enthusiasm!

RIP Chillwave!

Hahahah for the guy wearing G train shirt lol....was anyone wearing L train shirt?

P.S. Is the bassist in Small Black...the guy from Juan's basement?

And that pitchfork writer/video guy from 9:18AM is the brains (and bass) of Small Black. Well done sir.

Each Pitchfork contributor should start their own band in my opinion, giving out moderately high scores to their fellow staffers, but failing to tag them as 'best new music'.

"A note to all solo electronic protagonists out there in search of dreamy soundscapes: please bring a full band with you on tour."

And technically complex guitar solos and leather pants and every other trapping of "real rock, man."

"Best New Music" Small Black! HAHA! I want Juan from Juan's Basement to join my band! Nepotism crawls into even the smallest of corners.

bearded guy in white tee=hot

nearly walked out mid show. small black by themselves were terrible. washed out on his own was terrible. but when they played that last 20+ minutes together it was ridiculously good.

Great Pics Ben!!

ernest is so fine

have you guys heard the neon indian remix of washed out covering toro y moi with small black? so rad, dudes

Was at the show....

For the first few songs, Washed Out was a bit underwhelming both in sound level and energy compared to Small Black. I agree with anon above that it was "ridiculously good" after Small Black joined in. I love both bands' recordings, but live, they're infinitely better together; and it's not because one band is better than the other. It's just that they both have strengths and weaknesses, that when together compliment each other well and thus cancels out the bad....

My GF said it best. I'll paraphrase, "Washed Out brings adds a bit of appropriate 'gayness' to Small Black's 'bro-ness', whereas the latter gives the former a bit more 'balls'".... Something like that...

Either way, the two bands need to stick together... It's a good formula they've stumbled upon. Good one guys!

SMALL BLACK SUCKED! What fake, wanna be trend douche! They were so bad, I felt embarrased...

Washed Out were cool, definitely worth while.

the show was awful. just awful.

Small Black were awful, but I enjoyed the rest of the show! Theres something really fake and soulless about Small Black. You can tell they are hangers on, and no one actually likes them. They should change their name to Beer Run, since most of the audience walked out during their set.

"A note to all solo electronic protagonists out there in search of dreamy soundscapes: please bring a full band with you on tour."

YES!!!

9:42 you probably hate guitar distortion too don't you. why would you want to dirty up your guitar sound? keep it as Hi-Fi as possible!! what the hell does Hi-Fi have to do with songwriting or creativity at all?? and please take your anti-MP3 argument back to 1999. no one compresses shit at 96kbps anymore. 192 and up sounds fine.

8:53PM

Lo-fi sounds can work...Guided By Voices, My Bloody Valentine, fuck even the Beatles...and how about that new Flaming Lips records...that record sounds like parts of it were recorded in a desert.

So maybe the Small Black's failure is it utter lack of clarity, the absence of a voice...whenever anything is monochromatic (in any form of media) I find it really bland and artless. For me it has always been the combination of various elements that creates depth, space, dynamic...etc

And as this soulless trend continues to perpetuate itself (everyone hiding behind the haze) maybe it is only disconcerting because it's really just an indication of who we are as a generation...just white noise...no clear answers...utterly "washed out" and confused...sitting behind our computers and reading/writing on a fucking blog---existential emptiness for all!

So maybe bands like Small Black are actually holding a mirror up to our collective conscience: We are a youth that makes cruddy bedroom records that will only depict one-color. But you should catch 'em fast because in a few weeks some other silly trend will have everyone opening their hearts and arms---or is it their arms and heads?

PS: as far as the MP3 comment...I think you misunderstood me. I don't know what compression rate they used to record their record (maybe you do? are you in the band?) but what I was saying is that for a long time we've been listening to MP3 quality music and it seems like this sound has now informed our aesthetic reasoning...

i've often thought of the 'audio quality in contemporary listening conditions as a factor in musical and aesthetic trends and direction' thingy... but not really in the case. i see why someone might think that about these guys, but idunno if i do.

and i though washed out solo was awesome but w/ band was super awesomer!!! so good. ridiculous.

but

WHERE IS THE PICTUREPLANE LUVV

oh and the dude opening the 2nd night was super good too. small millions. or something.

None more black

I've posted my review/pics at Backseat Sandbar (just click my name above). I echo that Small Black's instrumentation really made Washed Out's set great. Also, Million Young, the opener was sick. I'm seeing him again with Letting Up Despite Great Faults on Friday.

dear pictureplane where do you come from?! ur so amazing

denver