Art Brut @ Holocene

The Sunday after Halloween in a Halloween-loving town like Portland is probably not the best night for a concert. But that didn't stop Art Brut from pulling out the stops and shredding so hard on the guitar that an amp literally caught fire. The set list pulled from across their three albums, kicking off with a one-two punch of "Formed A Band" and "My Little Brother". And while it was a blast hearing the singles that first caught my attention, it was the songs off of the new album that made me want to grow old with Art Brut. Songs like "DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake" just speak to me, even if I don't drink chocolate milk or read comic books. It captures those mundane things from my youth that I am not willing to give up, like PB&J. "Slap Dash For No Cash" perfectly sums up the garage rock I love and "The Replacements" could be about any number of classic bands I am just discovering. Plus, all the sarcasm and attitude is wrapped in riff after giant riff. And it sounds great when it's delivered live with Eddie Argos wandering through audience ranting and improvising.