The Bravery, Manchester Orchestra Entertainment House of BLues Chicago, IL December 14, 2009

The opening band, Manchester Orchestra was merely average, emitting a screamo emo sound that tried overly hard to emulate Nirvana-esque sounds and fell quite short of paradise. The first song played alluded to a more interesting, contemporary sound but after a few tracks such as “I’ve Got Friends” and “Shake It Out” it became redundant. My companion for the evening remarked on them as “Being able to put her in a sleep like trance.” All in all, I think The Bravery would have done better with a more energetic opener.

Infamously known as the pert “bad boys” of the indie rock scene, The Bravery certainly lives up to their reputation with their gritty yet retro sound that stirred fans on Tuesday. The presentation of their 2009 released album, “Stir the Blood” pantomimes the style of New Order, Duran Duran and Depeche Mode while adding fresh lyrics and a splash of contemporary rock.

The Bravery appeared on the scene in 2005 after signing with Island Def Jam Records in the United States and Loog in the U.K. The band began their launch into the indie rock scene with the release of their self entitled album which gave way to two fairly successful singles, “Unconditional” and “An Honest Mistake.” But it was not until the release of their sophomore album in 2007, “The Sun and the Moon” that the Bravery reached the peak of their popularity with the success of the hit tracks “Believe” and “Time Won’t Let Me Go” which explored a more varied and original sound. The release of their junior album, however, marks the return of the synth sounds and dance beats of “The Bravery” but with more intensity and grit.

Admittedly, I walked into the venue enthused but a fatigued college student weary after a week of finals, however two hours later I left feeling exhilarated and eager to download their entire discography (honorable mention to “Hate Fuck” a new naughty pleasure which has outdone my passion for the Faint’s “Worked Up So Sexual”).

I expected the fan base to be primarily of the younger or adolescent set. I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be a more mature, adult centered concert rather than a group of crazed aficionados.

The concert was flawlessly organized; The Bravery opened with standout tracks from their junior album such as the earlier mentioned “Hate Fick” and “I Have Seen the Future” which drew in the crowd and caused outbursts of cheering and excitement. In fact, once the Bravery began they seemed unable to lose momentum. Nearly every track of their 2009 album was engaging and the show seemed to improve with every lilt of Endicott’s synthetic vocals and the expert strumming of Zakarin’s strings. The second half of the show was improved by familiar singles such as “Believe” and “Time Won’t Let Me Go” as well as Endicott’s cheeky narrative abilities which preceded tracks and allowed him to engage with the crowd. At one point he asked the audience what they wanted to hear and after their enthused and eager responses he replied, “All in good time my pets.” Yes, cheeky indeed.

But Endicott was true to his word, The Bravery seamlessly transitioned from song to song keeping the crowd connected to the music with their rendition of “The Ocean” which showed a more melodious side of the Bravery’s music through introspective lyricism that alludes to something lost, “Oh the ocean rolls us away and I lose your hand in the waves.” The milestone of the night was the band’s closing song, “Fearless” off their freshman album which initially emulated the “Cure-ian” new wave style.

Twenty years later, we love the style just as much as we did when we were wearing spandex and banana clips. Hats off to the Bravery you’ve managed to fuse retro with contemporary and we personally find the combination rad.

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