The Frames
Live at the Triple Door
4/10/07

Okay, first off, I’m going to start by saying that no matter how I describe this show, it was a million times better than that. I am so emotionally attached to this band that leaving at the end of the show is like ripping my heart out and leaving it on the stage. There is literally an emptiness after the show that is almost unbearable. Now hopefully I’ve prepared you for one mentally unstable review.

The KEXP show is a donor-only show. In order to get an invite to certain concerts you have to be a part of the radio station’s “500 Club.” As a membership benefit, on occasion they’ll have special shows at the Triple Door that are invite-only. I figured that every year I donate money to a variety of causes, why wouldn’t I donate to support an independent radio station? Music is the closest thing to my heart. Most of the people there were people who show up to all of these things. (Apparently they don’t have jobs, so they can go to a midday concert, unlike myself, who had to request time off for it months in advance.) Most of them did not know who the Frames were. In fact the guy sitting next to me (mind you I was in the front, center seat) asked me if I had ever heard of the Flames. But judging by the merchandise table when I left, they made a lot of new fans.

The first song they did was an instrumental number, “In the Deep Shade,” that I don’t recall hearing live before. Apparently they never do this song, which probably explains why I haven’t heard it. Next was “Rise,” which made me want to crawl on stage and cry at Glen’s feet. The passion that comes out of not only him, but the entire band, is just phenomenal.

The thing is, when they do their songs live, there is such an intensity to them. For example, they did “What Happens When the Heart Stops,” which as a studio recording is pretty mellow, and not a favorite of mine personally. But live there is such a build up to it, and the music just wraps you up. I could go into details for each and every song, but how do you write “OHMYGAWD” fifty times over in different ways?

Tonight I’m seeing them again at the Showbox in Seattle, so if I’m not lying in the ditch tomorrow, mourning the normalcy of my life, I will review that as well.

You can stream the concert online at KEXP’s website. They’ll have links to the concert soon on their live performances page:

http://www.kexp.org/aspnet_client/live.asp

Or you can hear it for the next 14 days at http://www.kexp.org/streamarchive/streamarchive.asp and type in April 10^th, 5:00pm.