I've seen this band every time they've played SF since 1999. It's been fascinating to watch them evolve and develop over the years. First time I saw them was in a small club South of Market with a capacity of around 500, but it wasn't full. This time they played The Warfield, an old movie palace downtown that holds about 3,000. The place was packed with rabid fans hanging on every note. It seems our little band is making a successful run at the big time.

The show consisted of 2 acts, the first was the entire first disc of "The Incident" and the second was a handful of great songs from the last few albums.

My reaction to this show was similar to when they played FOABP live . . . before it was even released. This album came out in the US, what, 3 days ago? I just wish I had a chance to get to know the songs in the first set better. "The Incident" probably has too many lulls to play it all the way through live. Tho, I suspect the heavily Pink Floyd influenced "Time Flies", the high point of set 1, will be a staple of their shows for years to come. Consequently, the second set was much better than the first, for me, and I could tell the rest of the audience felt the same way. The crowd was berzerk for "Strip the Soul" and "Buying New Soul" and they all sung along to "Lazarus." Wilson, and the whole band seemed moved by that. Some dizzy chick was throwing flower petals on the stage during Lazarus, it was adorable. The whole band seems to have really stepped it up with their stage presence. Wilson in particular was more animated than I'd ever seen him, but again, this was by far, the biggest, most active and enraptured crowd I've seen him play in front of. I was a little sad to see them skip all their early material, but I suppose it's inevitable as the band gets more and more popular and these new fans only want the recent material.

Maybe that all sounds negative, but that's not my intention. They are a killer live act. So tight and effortless, with so much power behind them. Every time I've seen them they get more polished, more comfortable in front of an audience. This was the biggest, slickest show I've seen them do, but I'd personally prefer it if it was a little more intimate, and I wish they'd play songs that the fans have a chance to be more familiar with. I hope someday I can see them do a gig that's a healthy mix of old and new songs, rather than simply pimping a new album. Great band, go see them when they come to your town, you won't be disappointed.

And I gotta mention the opening act. That 1 Guy. A jazz bassist who was looking to . . . not be normal. So he built a weird looking home made 2 string bass out of pipes and covered it with buttons to trip to samples and sound FX. Also had some foot pedals and a snare, turning him into a real one-man-band. What a riot. After all the crappy 4th-rate emo shoe-gazer bands I've seen as openers over the decades, That 1 Guy was wonderfully goofy and refreshing. A perfect example that humor DOES belong in music and that so many bands have forgotten that they are on stage to entertain us.

Check out this video of him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayjVgMotJJo