The War on Drugs at First Avenue

The War on Drugs play driving set at First Avenue

Few indie rock bands in 2014 have created as much buzz as The War on Drugs. With the release of their third album Lost in the Dream last spring, the Philadelphia, PA band has been riding high on the much-deserved acclaim of that record. A long summer tour is now behind them, but the band made a stop in Minneapolis and sold out First Avenue on Monday, September 22nd, with another show coming up tonight.

Califone, the experimental rock band from Chicago, was a good choice as opener for the spacious sounds of The War on Drugs. Califone was at their best in the extended jams of their songs, where guitarists Jim Becker and Tim Rutili had room to grind away. At times they reminded me of the noisier side of their fellow-Chicagoans, Wilco.

The War on Drugs set their tone from the start, with singer / guitarist Adam Granduciel patiently building the ambient guitar sounds of the song “In Reverse”; the sprawling final track on Lost in the Dream. The rest of their hour and a half set was nearly the same — patient, driving, loud, and on-point, with huge guitar solos and warm sounding vocals.

Songs like the singles “Under the Pressure” and “Red Eyes” from Lost in the Dream, and “Baby Missiles” from their 2011 release Slave Ambient, sounded fantastic live and allowed Adam to show off how great of a guitar player he really is. The rest of the band, although not as animated on stage as Granduciel, played spot on as well and provided a great foundation for the airy songs that left a lackluster crowd in almost a meditative state. The War on Drugs’ performance at First Avenue was solid and unwavering, proving that they are well worthy of all the praise they are seeing.

The War on Drugs

Califone