When I was a teenager, Weezer came to my hometown. They were supporting Pinkerton, an album that I loved dearly and would continue to love dearly all the way through the writing of this review. On that night in Knoxville, TN, they played a healthy balance of Blue/Pinkerton songs, and we danced and sang and jumped up and down in unison- all the things you do when a band you like is killing it in the 90′s. And now, too, I suppose. Anyhow, Weezer closed with “Surfwax USA” and it was perfect and we all felt great and relaxed as they left the stage. THEN No Doubt played.

Last night, Midlake visited Knoxville’s beautiful old theater, the Bijou. After a charming opening set by Minneapolis bluesy-twosy Peter Wolf Crier (which actually featured some pretty compelling vocal looping) a giant picture was lowered behind the instruments. It was the druid-as-hell cover of the new Midlake album, The Courage of Others, featuring a trippy mirrored image of a few of the cloaked Jesuses of the band. Shortly after, Midlake took the stage, looking awesome and period-specific to their 70′s soaked songcraft. They were beardy, they were stoic, and underspoken. They launched into a very well balanced set of new selections and favorites from their previous album, The Trials of Van Occupanther, with a few long, jammy intros to the hits….which only worked (and they really worked) because this band LOOKS like they’d be all jam.

Read the rest of the review and check out more photos by Jeff McClain after the jump…

Midlake plays with an air of experience. The staggering of new songs and hits, the limited but effective banter, and an ability to speak directly to the audience, seeming cool and not worried about reaction. And those abilities go a long way by themselves. The audience remained seated and the usually chatty and annoying Knoxville Bijou crowd was hypnotized. It was by no means a sell out, but the few hundred who showed up for this show were locked in by the dark and swirling harmonies, the guitar interplay (there were 4 guitars), and the flawless delivery. It’s true that Midlake’s songs can be a slight downer, expecially the new, doomier songs, but their ability to deliver them in person transforms a downer into a truly cathartic, uplifting, magic. The lights were kept simple. Tim Smith barely spoke, rathering to stare into the middle distance, as if he were looking right back into the nostalgia of the songs, which is a common thread for this band.

They closed with a long, building version of “Head Home” from Occupanther, bringing the crowd to it’s feet, a standing ovation that would not invoke an encore. And that’s fine, because they finished on a punctuated, energetic and appropriate moment. I felt great and relaxed as they left the stage.

THEN Rogue Wave played.