No Age @ NXNE 2009

Lee's Palace

Toronto, ON

on Jun 19 2009

Zack Vitiello (CHARTattack)

06/20/2009 1:23pm

Background/ Composition:
This Pitchfork-approved Los Angeles duo are comprised of drummer/singer Dean Allen Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall (best name ever). Their art-punk tunes are fast, loud and densely layered with noisy tape loops, which results in a chaotic live show complete with a violent mosh pit and stage-climbing antics.

Grade: 90

Comment:
No Age are miles ahead of where they were when they played Toronto just over a year ago. They sounded impressively tight, yet retained all of the chaos and sense of "I don't give a fuck" that makes their set so damn endearing.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: E
Pronunciation: G
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: G
Image: E
Appearance: E
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Immediately after taking the stage, Randall proceeded to climb off the stage and catwalk (with less than cat-like agility, I should add) across a beer-bottle lined barrail. He remained there for some time before he made a death-defying leap back onto the stage. As soon as he touched down, Spunt kicked it into high gear, sending the audience into a frenzy. Before long, everyone in sight was drenched with sweat, including Spunt, whose white shirt was transparent by the end of the set.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: G
Problem Solving: E
Teamwork: G
Work Habits: E
Organization: G
Audience Participation: E
Sound: S
Composition: G
Songs: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
On record, No Age's music is noisy and chaotic. Live, you can multiply all that noise and chaos by 10 and probably still not capture the essence of their performance. Spunt rarely hits the notes he's striving for, but it doesn't matter in the slightest — No Age's show is about fostering a raw, collective energy rather than nailing precise technical details. "Miner" and "Eraser" off last year's Nouns were met with some of the most raucous dancing likely to occur at NXNE this year.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: E
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: E
Haircut: E
Indie Rock Footwear: E
Nods To Disposable Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: G
Level Of Inebriation: S
Actual Ability: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
The most commendable quality that No Age possess is their ability to work as a team. When Randall broke a string on his guitar, Spunt was quick to throw on a tape loop, which afforded Randall time to get himself back in action. But Spunt didn't need to stall for long, as Randall changed and tuned a string faster than I've ever seen — most likely because it's something he has to do often, judging by the way he thrashes that thing. Three-quarters of the audience probably didn't even realize it happened, but those who did were impressed.