Titus Andronicus Forever

There once was a time when I would never think to go see a band alone. It's fun to share in the immediacy and communal joy of a rock show with a friend or two. But when I started to miss shows because I couldn't find someone to go with me, I decided I'd just go by myself. I adopted this new policy way back in 1996 when I missed a Beck show. Sure, it's more enjoyable to see a band with friends, but it's not a must for me anymore.

Fast forward to last Sunday night. It was a cold, miserable evening that would have been nice to spend at home on the couch, but I made my way to Harvard Square and the Sinclair to see the mighty Titus Andronicus. The sold-out show was originally supposed to take place on November 30, but construction delays at the new venue pushed it back a few months.

The Palma Violets opened the show, replacing Ceremony from the original bill. I hadn't heard the UK-based band before, but I'd heard of them because I believe they'd been voted best live act by the readers of NME. The four-piece PV's were immediately impressive, reminding me of the Arctic Monkeys and Libertines in sound. It was classic Brit-rock, poppy and powerful, building into a ramshackle punk-inspired rumble. The band's first album is coming out here in a few weeks, and I'm definitely going to check it out.


While Titus was setting up, I noticed that even its roadies were nerds. Then the band came out and it turned out that it was actually the band members themselves who were setting up. The crowd was very young (it was all ages) and the front of the stage was pretty active with all the stage diving and the pogoing and such. Frontman Patrick Stickles (who no longer rocks the majestic beard he had the first time I saw these guys opening for Ted Leo a few years back) launched right into three songs off the band's latest album Local Business.

Titus' bar-ready singalongs were tailor-made for the live setting, and the increasingly inebriated crowd was into it. The three-guitar attack was bracing and immediate, and the 16-song set was loud and pile-driving. The band drew liberally from its three albums, closing with the 14-minute+ "The Battle of Hampton Roads." There was an initial disappointment when the houselights went on right after the band left the stage, signaling that there would be no encore. But when you consider how hard they rocked for 90 straight minutes, you really had to be satisfied with the excellence of the show. Titus is a band you shouldn't miss whenever they hit town.