WMRE Executive Staff - Campus Life

The Fiery Furnaces @ Emory
As I began to write this article I realized I am probably the most biased person that could possibly
review the Fiery Furnaces concert at Emory. Not only am I a huge fan, but I organized the friggin’ event.
Therefore, I decided to write this article as another person. I am now a dorky Freshman boy named Jeffrey.
So, walking back to my dorm on Friday the fi fteenth of April, I noticed a brightly colored orange fl ier (or twenty)
advertising a band called the Fiery Furnaces was playing on campus. This was
good, because as usual I had no plans for Friday night. Like all Emory students
attending an event on campus, I arrived over an hour after the advertised start
time (even though the fl ier said to arrive early because space was limited). When
I got there, a line stretched from the doorway of the Munroe theater all the way to
Einstein’s. I decided to wait since I had nothing else to do. Plus there were some
girls standing next to me. The opening band, Dios Malos, could be heard from
outside the doorway. They seemed all right. Right as I was about to get really
whiny, all the people standing in line were allowed to enter just a few songs after
the Furnaces began.
And boy was it worth the wait. I don’t know what to say; it just rocked.
The entire show was practically one continuous medley of Fiery Furnaces songs.
The energy of both the band and the crowd (a mix of students and scenesters)
was electric. During one song (I think maybe it was a love ballad) Eleanor looked RIGHT AT ME, and I totally
sprouted a chub. The band members had really good chemistry. You could tell they were into it, creating music
each song instead of just playing the same version that could be heard on any store-bought record. Aside from
Eleanor, of course, the drummer really stole the show. He hit those things (cymbals?) really well. I almost cried
when I thought they were fi nished after their forty-fi ve minute set, but Eleanor heard my plea, and they returned
for a thrilling fi fteen minute encore. It was defi nitely the best concert I have ever been to. Even better than
when I saw Cowboy Mouth at Centennial Olympic Park. Yes, it was that good. Afterwards I rushed over to buy
their latest release. I’m defi nitely a fan for life.—Rachel Gottschalk
Ingredients: Sugary sweet pop, a cute couple as the vocal duo and heart of the band, a horn section
seemingly coming straight from a spin-off high school band playing in their garage. Stir in youthful
exuberance, and you can bet the group is just an odd lot having
fun on stage.
Dish: The Brunettes
The music may not be the most complex, the lyrics not
the deepest, the mix not the most profound out there, nor the
instrumentation particularly amazing. Yet it somehow works. This
group from New Zealand plays an intelligent brand of feel-good
bubblegum pop—it’s as simple as that.
It’s hard not to like The Brunettes. They won’t be your
favorite band you might proclaim is making the greatest music
today, but you certainly will enjoy their music.
Their trademark sound, familiar to Kiwis but just becoming known stateside, contains
handclaps, vocal harmonies and the glockenspiel played by the adorable lead singer Heather
Mansfi eld. Think Belle & Sebastian, heck even The Partridge Family, or better yet and most
accurately, Brian Wilson.
Some of the songs as played by the quintet broach on surprising topics, such as physical
deformity, self-abuse, and emotional numbness. Other topics are quite typical—love and lust.
Currently on tour with the Shins, you can catch The Brunettes opening for Rilo Kiley in June.
--Daniel Spivack