Take Me Somewhere Nice

It was a vibe when you walked into Varsity Theater in Dinkytown, Minneapolis, on Friday night. I wish I had the right words to describe said vibe, but I just don’t. I can tell you that I knew I was in the presence of giants with the aura that filled the room, and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. People were patiently anxious for the magic that was about to unfold in front of them, and I was one of those people.

Papa M was the only opening act, but with a legend like Papa M, you really don’t need anyone else. Papa M is also known as David Pajo, who has done a little bit of everything, all of it stunningly monumental. From his work in Slint to his current contribution to Gang of Four, David is a musician’s musician. He has an attention to detail that is nothing short of pristine and a knack for creativity, making him an act that is impossible to look away from when performing live. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but the second that David took the stage on Friday night with nothing more than a guitar, a microphone, and a smattering of pedals, I was captivated and completely lost in his world.

His sound ranged from post-rock to math rock. There was a little electronica thrown in, along with a stunning indie rock-leaning song (which he had played at Steve Albini’s funeral). It didn’t matter what kind of lush atmosphere David was filling the room with during his short time on stage; it was an atmosphere that took over everyone in attendance, creating an almost intimidating sense of tension. It wasn’t an aggressive sense of tension, but more a sense of tension created by people wondering what David would do next, knowing that whatever it was, it would transport everyone to a completely different world.

On top of the sound of Papa M was the comedy show we got. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be that way, but hearing David talk about everything from admitting that he is a new glasses wearer and asking the audience for advice to questioning if anyone even knows what Steve Miller (of Steve Miller Band) even looks like had me and those around me giggling slightly uncontrollably. Being able to see this humorous side of David, who is all business and feels almost strict when performing, was just the icing on the cake to a stunning opening set.

It’s hard to believe that Papa M was only the opening act for Friday night. Honestly, I found him so mysterious and captivating that he could have easily been the headliner for the night. I would have been satisfied with having left the coziness of my house for yet another night on the town, but he was not the headliner. The audience still had an epic treat headed their way in the form of headlining act Mogwai.

Mogwai is a post-rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, and has been around for decades. They started in 1995 and have released eleven full-length albums of pure genius musicianship since then. Like Papa M, Mogwai is a musician’s band. What I mean by that is that some of their thoughts feel abstract. Their sound is far from commercial, making it hard for some people to really get into their sound, but for those who do understand and do get into it, they go deep, and Mogwai has quickly formed a cult following of people just wanting to get lost in their abstract world. I am not one of those people. Although I enjoy and thoroughly appreciate this band, they aren’t my band. That being said, when the opportunity came to see them on Friday night, I couldn’t pass it up. Honestly, it’s been a week, and by the time Friday night rolled around, all I wanted to do was get lost in someone else’s world, and I had decided that Mogwai’s may be the perfect world to escape to. I was right.

I could tell you the songs that the band played throughout their twelve-song set and the one song they played as an encore, but truthfully, that would just be me looking it up because I had no clue. What I can tell you is that, during their time on stage, it was the first time in my week when I felt true peace. The way that the notes of their melodies danced around as if pretending to be thoughts, as the crashing drums and crunchy guitars created a sense of slight chaos like that of the outside world, just really hit me, and it hit me hard. The way Mogwai toyed with the audience and with silence, creating, at times, almost awkwardly long periods where, although something was happening on stage, it was hard to hear it, made my heart skip a beat. Like I said, a musician’s band where, unless you really get into the craft of artistry of music, you may have missed some of what they were doing; Mogwai had me questioning everything I know about music in just the right way.

I loved the fact that I picked up on such a sense of intensity throughout Mogwai’s set without the music being outwardly intense. Don’t get me wrong, the ebb and flow of their set made for epic swells that hit you like a brick wall, but those felt fairly few and far between. Somehow, this band created an atmosphere where those valleys could hit you just as hard, if not harder, than the peaks. Although I love living life in the fast lane and going to see fast and furious music where you are constantly watching out for flying limbs coming at you from a mosh pit, there was something magical about Friday night and just standing there while being completely immersed in Mogwai’s world.