Having seen the DVD that comes with their recent boxed set and a few videos floating around the Tubes of You, I have to ask: what makes Tortoise a compelling live band?? I mean I adore the band and would like to see them live, but they don't strike me as an amazing live band. Do they change the songs slightly?? Segue songs into each other?? Play really energetically??
Some things I noticed last night that made them interesting:
1. Energy - I have always thought of Tortoise as being a mellow, softer band, but last night they played LOUD and were really energetic. The drummers were bashing away at their sets (at one point one of them took his cymbals off the stands, threw them on his snare, and played them that way), the guitars and basses were rocking out, the vibraphone and marimba punched as well, and the synths were surprisingly badass. All this added up to the fact that they had ENERGY, and it engaged me and even made me want to dance. They certainly weren't boring in the least.
2. Passion - I could tell that everyone on that stage was fully into the music and was giving everything they had to the audience and the music.
3. Musicianship - They were skill-wise some of the best musicians I have ever seen play live.
Another thing: some bands sound utterly and completely different live than they do on the album. This can be good or bad. I noticed that Tortoise sounded similar to how they do on their albums, but with more energy and a few melodic alterations that added to the live experience. I really enjoyed how they definitely sounded like the Tortoise I had listened to, but better. Also, they did some interesting things with segueing songs from different albums into each other, and it worked very well. I really, really enjoyed the concert and I hope to see them live again.
