VOXTROT | Mercury Lounge Review

Rather than being faced with the tough decision of choosing which Voxtrot show to see, I just went to both (a lot of other people had the same idea). Monday was the original show, the show that sold out first, so one might anticipate this show and the crowd being better. Monday's set list started off stronger with "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives" instead of an unfamiliar and unrecorded track on Sunday. Monday, the band was all wearing white in their outfits, while Sunday, t-shirts were the only thing common to their wardrobe. Monday had all the makings of a formal show, while Sunday, in comparison, seemed to be a casual add on. But Sunday the band was more relaxed; Jason and Ramesh were flailing all over the stage and Ramesh was even dancing in his seat at the keyboard. Ramesh was also chattier at Sunday's show where he confessed that he thought the day was Easter. He had grandiose plans to hide Easter eggs filled with drink tickets and Voxtrot badges all over the Mercury Lounge with one lucky egg containing a golden ticket for a vegan chocolate bunny. That afternoon Ramesh had asked their manager to scour the city for this bunny. Later their manager called back to say that he googled it and Sunday was not Easter. The air was lighter at the first show. The stage banter on Monday revolved more around a few problems. An amp broke but they borrowed one from Aloha and a clueless girl got on the stage to dance but the band and the crowd demanded she get off. Regardless of these bumps, Monday's crowd was very appreciative and Voxtrot played their cover of "Heaven," which was a request from the crowd, as an unexpected encore. And despite the differences in the shows, I can't think of any other way I would have rather spent my last two evenings.

Sunday Set list:
? (New Song) / Raised By Wolves / Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives / Rise Up In The Dirt / Wrecking Force / Long Haul / "I Want To Swing Back" (New Song) / Fast Asleep / Soft & Warm / Start of Something / Missing Pieces

Monday Set list:
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives / Raised by Wolves / You Can't Hide Your Love Forever / Rise Up in the Dirt / Missing Pieces / Soft & Warm / "I Want To Swing Back" (New Song) / Start of Something / Wrecking Force / Fast Asleep // Heaven

Note the pictures are from Sunday. More after the jump.