EM magazine ::Vol. 05 + Issue Twenty One

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Concert Location: Spaceland

Date:
3.23.05

Band composition:
Erik Blambek Bøe: Singer/Guitarist
Erlend Øye: Singer/Guitarist

Album:
Riot on an Empty Street (Astralwerks, 2004)

Place of origin:
Bergen, Norway

Memorable Moments:
"Cayman Islands"
"Misread"
"Gold in the Air of Summer"
"I'd rather dance with You"
"The Build-up"

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Cod liver oil may very well be the health mantra of the year. The surgeon general probably wouldn’t endorse this product in a public service announcement, but the Kings of Convenience would be the ever-ready spokespersons. Extensive traveling can take its toll on the delicate physiques of musicians, Erlend and Erik. Last time on tour, they came down with the flu five times. Apparently the colder climate of Norway doesn’t constitute thicker skin against microcosmic invaders. However, Erlend confided to the audience that a regular spoonful of cod liver oil provided the perfect preventive measure during their entire North American tour, the first since their last album dropped.

After Quiet is the New Loud (Astralwerks, 2001) the Kings of Convenience took a three-year hiatus (with the exception of Erlend’s solo project with DJ Kicks) until their last release Riot on an Empty Street (Astralwerks, 2004). Now a year later, Erlend and Erik made their quiet entrance onto the U.S. touring circuit. KCRW’s fuzzy welcome mat laid out for the King’s LA arrival. The independent station provided generous airplay and also hosted their final shows at the El Ray and Spaceland.

After Erlend’s half-hearted caveat against flash photography during performance and the subsequent barrage of flashes from sleek digital cams, they began their set with the sad, sweet song: “Cayman Islands.” Their first choice for the night happened upon the storybook themes of a romantic escape. A sweet and tender opening that prompted a succession of sighs in the crowd.

They looked proper in their casual attire and brown hush puppies stomping quietly to the quiet rhythm of their songs. Erik’s boyish charm and Erlend’s quirky humour easily lent itself to a warm rapport with their audience. The gentle compositions of their songs evoked the sonic landscapes of Norwegian native folk. Their voices sung softly over acoustic guitars offered a lighter, less brooding counterpart to the early works of Elliott Smith or Stuart Murdoch. And when Leslie Feist (of Broken Social Scene) stepped onto stage for “Build Up,” her lilting voice in its nuanced timbre and her casual grace onstage provided the aptly named build up of their set.

It was so quiet you could hear the chink of ice in your neighbor’s glass or the smack of lips as a couple stole a quick kiss in the dark. An uptight girl, who had earlier cast evil looks and muttered caustic remarks, changed dramatically after the first song on their set. Her eyes closed in heavenly repose, momentarily opened to glistening irises. The proverbial lion morphed into a lamb.

Towards the end, however, their charm began to fade a bit. I shifted uncomfortably in my standing position and longed for the comforts of the steps, currently occupied. Then I grew slightly irritated by the coffee shop crowd who consciously decided to substitute handclaps with finger-snaps and an unwavering emotional stasis. Any slight movement or noise warranted a disapproving shush. As I started to feel oppressed by the heavy breathing that dragged on like somnambulists; the Kings played their lively number, “I’d Rather Dance with You.” Whereupon Erlend in the spirit of the song, jumped onto the speaker to dance a cute little number; however by that time, the audience was sedated into a dream-state. Their set that night possessed an effect not unlike a generous dose of Valium added to their drinks.

What the Spaceland show may have lacked was the kind of emotional dynamism you’d like to get from a live performance. It would’ve been nice if Erlend supplemented the set with the electronica panache displayed during his DJ Kicks interlude. However, not to say their subtle charm was lost entirely; making up in parts with such lovely numbers as “Gold in the Air of Summer” and “Misread”. To sum it up, the show was a sweet lingering goodbye to the States, as the boys headed back for their long trip home to Norway.

The lights turned on and as the crowd thinned out, a girl with a wistful smile lifted her body from off the coveted steps of the stage. She captured the moment in a barely audible remark to her friend: “The show was so good I wanted to fall asleep.” Indeed, their final farewell was the perfect preface to a warm pillow and bedcovers.

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