The Magnetic **yawn** Fields

For a long time, if you were to ask me who my favorite band was, I probably would have just said The Magnetic Fields. I love how they write quirky lyrics, experiment with a lot of styles, and have the talent to make the entire product sound flawless. Some of my favorite songs have been written by The Magnetic Fields, so it seemed easy enough to scoot them up to the status of Best Band Ever in my personal hall of fame.



Well, the band took a serious dive in the hall of fame after I saw them on concert this last Tuesday. Granted, I’m not sure exactly what I expected, and Rob and my friend who joined us both worried that the mellow band would be a total snooze on stage. I maintained faith however. I thought about how some mellow bands still find ways to be inventive on stage and engage their audience through their charisma and talent. Since this group has such a devoted fan base, I figured something would happen to make it fun.

Not so much.

They came out, stared down at their instruments, and played the songs identical to how they sound on CD. Sometimes the lead male singer and one of the female singers would banter a bit on stage, but I thought the deadpan reminisces were just dead. The band members seemed disconnected from the show, and I got the feeling they were bored and didn’t want to be there. At one point, someone from the crowd shouted out a song title during the encore, and in his baritone voice the lead male singer says, “We don’t interact with the audience.”



Funny, I thought a concert was for the audience to enjoy, not just a practice session for you or a big chore to cross off your to do list. Interaction between the band and the audience is half the fun! Otherwise, just stay at home at listen to the cd. Three of the five band members never spoke during the whole show: not to introduce themselves, not to say a few funny words, they were just blank. Hardly anyone laughed or even cracked a smile on stage. This is an indie-pop-rock concert, not a sermon! What a gaggle of curmudgeons!

I did read in an interview somewhere that they don't mind that their mellow concerts are sometimes more like book readings. What an insult to book readings! Just because it's a book reading doesn't mean it has to be dull; an author can still project personality and finesse.

On the plus side, they are incredibly talented at what they do. The fact that they can recreate the CD quality of many of their songs is really neat. It’s just unfortunate they couldn’t be a little more playful on stage. Do they take themselves that seriously?


Well, it would seem that The Decemberists just got a promotion. I am in adoration of their Hazards of Love album!