Mojave 3
10/11/06
Park West in Chicago
It was absolutely thrilling to see Mojave 3 for the first time. They’ve put out five stellar albums and it’s no secret that Neil Halstead is an incredibly talented person whether he’s composing perfect folk melodies on his solo album Sleeping on Roads and with Mojave 3 or when he created lush shoegaze textures with Slowdive. Neil Halstead is also a very unassuming person in that he exudes a real modesty. His brilliance is immediately clear once he starts singing and he has the ability to transform space and time in a way that makes you want to live in the same solitary moment in which only his voice and his music exists.
There was a great variety in the set spanning across both new and older material as well as between Mojave 3 albums and Sleeping on Roads The 90 minute set also varied between the relatively heavier rock elements in songs like “Some Kinda Angel” and the lullaby of “High Hopes.” Although Rachel Goswell could not be present, Kevin Hendrick fulfilled the bass lines well and the songs felt as complete as they are recorded on the albums.
Some of the best moments of the set were to be found within the strength of the lyrics and Neil Halstead’s vocals. In, “Who Do You Love?” Neil asked the important question, “Can you trust yourself when you don’t trust nobody else?” At the end of “Prayer for the Paranoid” it was perfect when Neil sang the intimate lines, “Just pray for us. Pray for sunshine.These days are cold and I´m missing you.” The keyboard was also a perfect compliment to many songs, especially with the notes ringing out so delicately on “Sarah” when Neil asked, “So why are we here?” The acoustics and sound mix was perfect throughout the set and really helped bring out the gentle softness in Neil’s voice. Other highlights include “Give What You Take” and the incredible completely acoustic “Hi Lo and Inbetween.”
You can listen to Mojave 3 songs by visiting their myspace page. Click to see additional pictures and remaining tour dates. The complete set of photos can also be viewed through flickr
Remaining Tour Dates:
Oct 14 2006 8:00A
The Magic Stick Detroit
Oct 16 2006 8:00P
The Mod club Toronto
Oct 17 2006 8:00P
The caberet Montreal
Oct 19 2006 8:00P
The paradise Boston
Oct 20 2006 8:00P
The Bowery New York
Oct 21 2006 8:00P
The Bowery New York
Oct 24 2006 8:00P
The Black Cat Washington DC
Oct 25 2006 8:00P
The cats cradle Carrboro
Oct 27 2006 8:00P
The Earl Atlanta
Oct 28 2006 8:00P
Belcourt Theatre Nashville
Nov 3 2006 8:00A
Brighton pressure point Brighton
Nov 4 2006 8:00A
leicester musician Leicester
Nov 5 2006 8:00A
Nottingham social Nottingham
Nov 6 2006 8:00A
wolverhampton Little Civic Wolverhampton
Nov 7 2006 8:00P
The jazz cafe London
Nov 17 2006 8:00A
Salle Victor Lyon
Nov 18 2006 8:00A
La maroquinerie Paris
October 24th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Kirstie,
It’s too bad that your first time seeing Mojave was without Rachel, as her lovely voice often is more prominently featured live than on the records (it’s hard to believe that my first time seeing them—-opening for Lush and supporting Ask Me Tomorrow in 1996—-Rachel actually sang lead for the majority of the show!), but having just seen them last Friday in NYC, I will agree that their show was another excellent one nonetheless. It was so odd to hear them open with four straight FAST songs, and a few of the climaxes were louder and more intense than I’d ever heard from them before (Ian really can pound those skins
).
We were lucky in that Neil made a smart decision and got Larissa Hopwood, of the PA-based band Honeychurch, to sing Rachel’s parts with him on 5 songs (including “Sarah” and “Give What You Take”), and she really nailed them. She sounds so much like Rachel, especially on the softer songs, and having met her twice before at Mojave and Neil-solo shows here in NYC (I reviewed Honeychurch’s first LP for Big T), I know she’s a huge fan, and she was so obviously stoked to be up there with them. You can check them out at http://www.myspace.com/honeychurchtheband.
Mark
October 26th, 2006 at 6:43 am
Well, even though I missed the female vocals, Kevin’s bass playing was great. And it was thrilling just for me to see them in general because Neil Halstead is so talented.