Wolf Parade at House of Blues: Canada's darling indie rockers return
With fast-paced guitars, yelping vocals and catchy riffs, Montreal’s Wolf Parade has cemented its status as one of the most prominent indie rock bands to grace the past decade. The quartet will return to Chicago on November 23rd in support of their latest masterpiece, Expo ’86, for a pre-Thanksgiving concert at House of Blues.
The band formed in 2003 in Canada and released their critically acclaimed first record, Apologies to the Queen Mary, in 2005. With upbeat rock beats and dancey synths, it didn’t take long for fans to swoop up the record and discover slow burner, “I’ll Believe in Anything,” that’s since become their signature track.
After touring the world, the group built a solid fan base and released the much anticipated follow up, At Mount Zoomer, two years ago. The key ingredient to the band’s success is having dual lead singers Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner, who trade off warbling vocal duties. Both Krug and Boeckner have also found success in side projects Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs (also with Boeckner’s wife), respectively. The band released their third record, Expo’86, this year to great reviews. The title references how the band members realized they all attended the Vancouver, Canada expo in 1986 when they were kids.
Live, the band rocks out more and brings an electric energy to the stage, especially on the mainly instrumental 11-minute prog-rock track, “Kissing the Beehive,” when the band usually lets loose. Wolf Parade played downtown club House of Blues in 2008, then returned to Chicago over the summer and played a coveted spot at Pitchfork Fest. For those fans who missed their performance or were addicted to seeing them again, they will get another chance at HOB. The band playing the mainstream venue isn't the most ideal setting for them, but wherever they go, at least they put on a spectacular show.
Posted by Garin Pirnia
