Film School –
i forget how many solid songs this band has…i listened to them on my way back to the east bay last night. great late night SF driving music. maybe it’s just me, but i would LOVE to hear the song 11-11 mixed like the album…just once. i’m sure they’ve played the song so many times they feel like they need to mix it up some, but to me the guitar licks *guide* the listener through the song, and they are non-existent in both live versions i’ve heard.

SWD-
the mix was decent, though the vocals could have been upped some…I found myself straining to hear adam at times.

there is no flash to this band. no jumping around, no ‘show’ to speak of. once i realized there would be none of that, i closed my eyes much of the time to hear the music better. with Film School, i couldn’t decipher where one guitar started and the other ended, while i could hear each of SWD’s guitars seperately, and appreciate how they complemented each other.

SWD has a solid, very deliberate delivery. at the outset, i found myself wanting them to crank it up and play it faster/harder/louder. as the set progressed, i adjusted, and began to appreciate the songwriting. nothing was rushed, each song felt centered, and the interplay of the guitars emerged more.

it wasn’t a dynamic show, though each member of the band, at one time or another, seemed like they dug into a song a little deeper.

i left before the end of the set, but got goosebumps when they played ‘never lose that feeling’. this happens rarely these days, and tells me a few of SWD’s songs will always be some of my favorites ever written.