Word: kent
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Cardigans and Kent-two of Sweden's most popular bands--played the Roxy on Saturday night, drawing an enthusiastic crowd in spite of an impending snowstorm. Each band was touring to promote its new album: The Cardigans' dark, complicated Gran Turismo was released earlier this fall, as was the American distribution of Kent's Isola. Taking advantage of their wider stateside popularity, The Cardigans headlined the show, leaving the lesser-known Kent to play a short opening set. But popularity was not the best predictor of performance. Kent's brilliant, lacerating set was a tough act to follow...
...Kent, who were already onstage when the crowd streamed in, opened with a seven-song set that seemed to fly by. They performed just under half the songs from their new album, hitting all the major tunes but unfortunately omitting my personal favorite, "Bianca." They played with gusto and energy, blistering through their two crowd-pleasing singles, "If You Were Here" and "Lifesavers." With up to three guitars playing at once, they achieved deep textures on their more lyrical ballads, such as "Things She Said," "OWC," and "Before It All Ends...
...Kent's music is often marked by melancholy, like Radiohead or The Cure, but they played with such spirit as to make it equally life-affirming. The epic seven-minute-and-forty-seven-second "747" was a fitting song to close on. Markus Mustonen, the drummer, began the song by quietly patting away with brushes; by the end, he was driving an urgent rhythm with drumsticks. Sami Sirvio, the lead guitarist, broke a string about five minutes into "747," but his relentless playing never skipped a beat...
Joakim Berg, Kent's singer and songwriter, strutted around the stage doing a Swedish version of the funky chicken, which involved puffing out his chest, slapping it with one palm and draping the microphone cord around his neck. Berg clearly enjoyed playing to a receptive, albeit unknown, crowd. Not one to miss a chance to connect with the audience, he dedicated the song "Elvis" to an enthusiastic fan who was wearing an enormous pair of ski goggles. Kent is an incredibly talented, charismatic band-hopefully they are only tasting the beginning of their overseas success...
Persson's chilly delivery was emblematic of much of The Cardigans' music: poppy perfection, but seriously lacking in substance. It's nice to dance to, and especially to look at, but often emotionally distant. Kent, on the other hand, came off sounding like a brilliant, Nordic U2. Kent is a bunch to keep an eye on-maybe next time The Cardigans will be opening for them...