Menomena Live at The Doug Fir

By the time Menomena, backed by a choir of friends and family packed onto the Doug Fir Lounge stage, stood at their mics and drums, I was buzzing with excitement (and a PBR or two).

At this point, there are three bands that satisfy with every album release and live outing: Radiohead, the little-known Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band and Menomena. This was my third Menomena show, dating back years to when they opened for Swords Project at Berbati's Pan, and it was the first since the release of their latest album, which I can't stop gushing about. As far as I could tell, I was the first person in line, arriving two hours early. This is something I do when I'm worried I won't get in. It's a weird anxious thing I have.

The show was also a poorly kept secret; a practice run for their upcoming tour. The show was advertised at Doug Fir as Meen Moan, and it would be the first public showing of the band's new set, featuring a few older tracks but relying mostly on the recent album. "The Pelican" kick-started the show after a hearty applause, and the next hour was riveting.

Since the album went on sale the next day and the songs were unfamiliar to most of the audience, older tracks received applause while new songs received silent-but-rapt attention. Despite the new material, the crowd walked away sated, but that also may have been due to the free cake and ice cream stacked near the sound booth.

After listening to the album repeatedly the last few weeks, I was stunned out of my gourd. The rising sound and strength of the recordings was no match for the Doug Firs' comfy confines and, as great as they are, do little justice to Danny Seim's maniacally precise drumming. A band that plays better live than in the studio is a rare thing, but Menomena have their stage show down.

I was near jell-o by the time the set closer, the anthemic "Rotten Hell" came rolling around, but the song picked me up again, building slowly and wonderfully, until the backing choir ripped in and my friend Steve and I couldn't help but sing along at the top of our lungs, culminating in the absolutely spine-tingling "Well it's high time/We step outside/Drop the gloves and settle this like a man/We might stall/And hem and haw/We might not fight but we won't walk away!" Listening to the track later, I started to draw parallels to the great anti-war anthems of the 60's, even if that wasn't the band's intention.

After the lights went up, all I could do was stammer and stagger out to my car to listen to these songs again. I tried to remember a better show, and all I could come up with were the two times I've seen Radiohead. Menomena is that good.

So, this is your second warning: LISTEN TO THIS BAND.