Bimbo’s is classy. Incongruously classy. You walk (past an almost distastefully large faux-marble statue of some horny mermaid riding a whale or something) into a large room with tables with not only chairs but *tablecloths*. Ok, this is a rock concert? There was ample room in front of the stage, but standing there waiting for Aereogramme to begin would have felt the same as doing so naked, so we sat down. A waitress showed up. It just kept getting weirder and weirder.

Anyway, once Aereogramme kicked things off, the show got a little more normal, ‘cept that there were a bunch of patrons who sat at tables way in the back of the room. You had to wonder what on earth they were doing there in the first place. You also couldn’t help but wonder if the kind of clientele that you would expect to show up at a joint like this would be disturbed by the heavy sounds emanating from the stage.

The crowd at the front half of the room clearly loved the show. Aereogramme’s brand of heavy, melodic alt rock touched many an emotive chord. They only played two or three songs off of the debut album, A Story in White, which is clearly their best work. Come to think of it, they only played two or three songs off of their newest record. That’s because they only played for 40 minutes, which is beyond retarded considering there were only two bands on this bill, and they both came all the way from Scotland. Weird, weird.

review by: Samaki Dorsey

Over the last few years I’ve heard various friends and acquaintances sing praises to the Delgados. I'd only heard a song or two of theirs, so by now my curiosity was piqued to experience their live show. On this tour, the Scottish quartet was supporting their latest release, Hate. I got there mid-set during Aereogramme to find a scattering of fervent fans amid confused onlookers that were not sure whether to shoegaze or bang their heads. However, by the time the Delgados took the stage, the main floor was packed and most of the seated tables were full.

From the first note, the audience in San Francisco was engaged and very encouraging, which is not to say that SF crowds are cold...but anyone from my city by the bay has to agree that at times, we can be a rough town. In light of this, I was pleased that the crowd was behaving like a good audience should.

With a total of nine people sprawled across the stage and on risers, the Delgados set up reminded me of lavish television performances I’ve seen on Later with Jools Holland. It was impressive. The live accompaniment of strings, flute and keyboards gave their sound a depth and grandeur, which went beyond that of the few recordings I've heard. Emma Pollock's voice sounded sweet and powerful in comparison to the feathery tenor of bandmate Alun Woodward. In its uniqueness and imperfection, his voice provided a compelling contrast. During duets his voice complimented hers suitably. I thought his solo efforts were more engaging due to a vulnerability that was reflected in his lyrics and delivery. For me, this added an emotionally dynamic feel to the concert that offset the happier, faster songs in the set.

In between playing there was plenty of alcohol consumption, joke telling, dedications and random storytelling from the band. They seemed impressed by the swanky venue of Bimbos 365, commenting that it "reminded them of the bar from the movie "The Shining" and to that end, played a song for one of the bartenders. My favorite song of the night, "Thirteen Gliding Principles" was the most buoyant performance in the set, showcasing the added instrumentation. It sat apart from the other songs with the driving and melodic string arrangement. It reminded me of Pulp. I half expected Jarvis Cocker to come strutting out on stage and have a go at a verse or two.

The most amusing part of the evening was watching the cellist who laughed during every song. I really thought he wasn’t going to make it through the show. After talking to him post-show, I discovered his fits and giggles stemmed from the antics of their comical guitar technician as well as the corral of dancing fans in the audience that pooled around the front row. Apparently they weren't used to seeing that and as I mentioned before, Dancing Audience Syndrome (DAS) is a rarity in the Bay Area. Yet, all of these elements added a great deal of fun and enthusiasm to what could have been very a low-key affair. I'm glad it wasn't. That night, there was definitely no Hate for the Delgados. Just love, San Francisco style.