Silversun Pickups

Lets get the bloody tiresome comparisons to Smashing Pumpkin’s out of the way. So the name’s not dissimilar, the music does have that wonderful Pumpkins “quiet/loud” trademark running right through it. Oh and they have a lady on bass. Enough. Because as the band fill the tiny stage and the chords of “Well Thought Out Twinkles” come screaming at us, it’s time to get lost in the amazing world of The Silversun Pickups. They have an abundance of fine songs that make you want to shout, shake, nod, dance, and it’s our pleasure to be here tonight, the crowd make that perfectly clear. The fuzzy waves of guitar during “Dream At Tempo 119” spin around the room as the drummer pounds out the rhythm. While at the front we have our eyes on Brian Aubert, the singer/guitarist who engages the crowd with a look of “we’re going to have fun tonight.” Fun was definitely had last night, as he eventually makes conversation with the Social’s punters after “Waste It On”. A day off yesterday before their final UK fling here in Nottingham. Which meant drinks to be had for at least the frontman of the band, Recalling tales of the night before as he caught acts here in the social, followed by a trip to the lemon Tree and Rescue Rooms.“Little Lover’s So Polite” has all the S’ P ups trademarks. The drum patterns, the buzzing, rumbling bass. The blips and squeals from the keyboardist, and the soft vocals mixed with razor edged, teeth vibrating guitars. Some songs build and build into glorious walls of guitar-fuelled feedback (“Lazy Eye”), while maintaining the catchiest, fat tapping beats imaginable. There’s no reason not to soak up every last note and be mesmerized by what we have within touching distance before our very eyes. Normally this venue inspires phrases such as “close up and intimate”, and “see the white’s of their eyes”. Never a more true word written once again this evening for L.A.s Silversun Pickups, to the point that in my position at stage front, I watched as the intriguing singer/guitarist lost a sole of one of his very worn shoes! On this performance, this intimate scenario will be one to cherish in the gig memory bank.

I will never miss a chance to see Silversun Pickups live!! Not just because I have a major crush on their singer, Brian Aubert, but because they just rock out on stage!! Nikki, their bassist, looked elegant as always. She always seems to wear such a stylish dress but I love how she's always jumping around on stage while still maintaining that girlish charm. Their drummer, Chris, has shiny, long black hair that thrashes around as he smashes on his drum set. Joe, their keyboardist, just looks like a laid back guy with his plaid shirt and his fancy fedora. Brian exudes the indie rocker look with his skinny jeans, boots, and leather jacket. His hair swoops across to the right side of his face, until mid set where it's dripping off sweat. He never stays on one area of the stage for long, unless he is on the mic. His vocals range from soft and a bit raspy to him bellowing his heart out. A good example of this would be their song "Lazy Eye," which is their song I first fell in love with. Brian has a bit of a feminine quality to his voice but that's just one of the things that really drew me to them! "Panic Switch" was the song that got the audience really going! It's intense and just gets you moving along with them on stage! Nikki's backup vocals is so beautifully haunting in it! I get chills just thinking about it now! Not only are they fantastic musicians, but they are so much fun to hang out with after their show! Nikki was super nice, Joe is as laid back as he seems on stage, Chris was a pleasure to talk to, and getting to spend time with Brian was the highlight of it all!! He saw my purse that said "I <3 NERDS" and said to me "I'm a nerd." So we had a long talk about his time at Harry Potter world and we sang songs from the movie Labyrinth together! It was just a few days prior to my birthday and nothing will top this birthday experience for me! Not to mention it's the second time he gave me a kiss on the cheek for my birthday!

The Silversun Pickups are one of my favorite bands. Way back, when I just started to listen to their music they had this performance in Amsterdam that I missed, and until last week there was no opportunity of seeing and hearing them perform live, so I only was acquainted with their studio work and some live footage shared online. Needless to say I was eager to visit one of their concerts, so when I got the news they would do a performance in Amsterdam I immediately ordered a ticket. And luckily so, for it was awesome!

Besides their fascinating and beautiful music one huge reason that contributed to my positive experience was their enthusiastic live performance. Namely Brian Aubert (guitar, vocals) did kind and funny intermezzos. Also during the songs I found him to be a real performer staying closely in touch with his audience. Nikki Monninger (bass, vocals) was quite an impressive appearance full of glimmer rock. Christopher Guanlao (drums) is a real craftsman. All the time he was spot on and one concentrated piece of energy, impossible not to be impressed by his skills! While perhaps Joe Lester (keyboard) stood less in the spotlight it was clear he did his fair share in the musical experience.

The acoustic qualities of the concert hall in combination with the sound settings were great. It was possible to hear the whole range of the music. At rock concerts it is not uncommon to get lost in a loud and wild haze of tones, luckily not this time.

Because the concert hall wasn't that large I experienced a pleasant kind of intimacy.

Long story short... I look back at a great and entertaining evening, perhaps too short ;-) If you like dreamy but intense rock music and nice performances you should really try one of their concerts your self.

I attended the Silversun Pickups concert on December 4 at the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks, PA. It was my first time seeing Silversun Pickups live and needless to say, it did not disappoint. I had been a fan of the band for at least a decade and felt lucky to finally have an opportunity to listen to them up close and personal. They were awesome. They came out with a lot of energy out of the gates and that energy and enthusiasm on-stage continued for the entirety of the set. The talent of the band was on display throughout, precision-playing at its best: howling guitars, rolling bass lines, and thunderous, tone-setting drums permeated the stage and the acoustics in the building allowed for the sound to really resonate. The band looked like they were having a lot of fun and the crowd responded accordingly. Their setlist reflected the longevity and diversity of their catalogue and was the perfect mix of old and new. I was extremely impressed with Brian’s guitar-playing prowess. He spoke with his guitar and his lyrics and I came away appreciating his skill and that if his band mates that much more by the end of the night. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show, I became an even bigger fan of the band during and afterwards, and I intend to see them again whenever they return to Pittsburgh.

The show was fantastic with a good set and a nice mix of songs. The concert lasted about 90-minutes, which is a bit short. However, Brian's arm is injured so I think playing for as long as he did was fine.

One thing to note is after the show myself and others went to meet the band when they were leaving the venue. Brian was VERY intoxicated, high, or a mixture of both and was not pleasant to be around. At one point when my friend was trying to take a photo of us, Brian snatched my phone out of his hands, put it on the sidewalk, and forcefully slid it across the cement. Luckily I had a case to protect my brand new phone, but his behavior was uncalled for and most-definitely rude. The shitty thing is if he did damage my phone, would he offer to fix it or do something about it? I highly doubt it.

Chris, Joe, and Nickki were all a pleasure to meet and they all took time out for photos and autographs to those who asked.

My advice for anyone looking to meet the band is to be weary of Brian and absolutely keep your phone out of his reach unless you want it damaged.

The show, as always, was amazing. The fact that it was to benefit Puerto Rico makes them and the show THAT much more special. Meeting them was a real treat, our seats were insanely awesome, and they always put on a phenomenal show. Their energy, music, and talent just blows me away every time. Silversun Pickups have been my and my husband's favorite band for the better part of a decade and every time we see them just reaffirms it. This show was definitely the one where they had the most fun.

Thank you for your music and always being amazing, Silversun! And thank you especially for helping to take care of our own people down in Puerto Rico when the jerks in charge won't. We are all the balance <3

These musicians are an absolute favorite to see live, no matter the venue- you see, they really enjoy & are the living expression of their music, as it is their obvious joy. The energies they attract in sharing this joy are an easy going & relaxed peoples out for the shear pleasure of sound & movement Silversun pumps out with controlled abandon, They also have a knack of picking up the crowds vibe & throwing it back out tenfold & with relish; They're happy performing their art, I'm happy listening with both body & mind. I always come away from a Silversun soire' satisfied & completely at ease...a most excellent evening indeed...!! Jono

I have lived in SoCal for the last 16 years. Tried to see this band. Finally did with a move to Asheville, NC. I have to say of all the hundreds, yes, hundreds I have seen over the last 40 years. This band ranks with the best!
Great venue, Oranage Peel, great appreciative crowd, outstanding performance. Some goods bands are better in person. SSP are an incredible live band. I categorize them as 21st century punk-rock fusion. Great tunes, killer bass, badass drums, solid keyboard. Brian Aubert is an artist. Songs he created & then the licks to back it up...it's his band.
If you can see them you will have a moment. Trust me.

Simply Amazing! Best show I've seen in quite some time... "Silversun" did NOT disappoint! Joywave also killed it! They may have a new fan because of this performance. (...very likely, many new fans). I, myself, not being a very big fan of "FOALS" was still pretty impressed with their performance and tightly honed sound... All in all, it was a truly great time with great music!!! Catch this tour if you get the chance!

I'm a great fan and waited for years for SP to come to The Netherlands. Finally they visited Amsterdam yesterday and it was a great gig. A lot of songs from their new album, as well as a few from thuis album Swoon. Nice interaction with the crowd, not too much talking... I had a great night I hope I won't have to wait for years for their next gig in The Netherlands.