Streetlight Manifesto – Live (Feb. 21st, 2011)

Streetlight Manifesto should not be a successful band.

To be successful these days, you need a MySpace, Facebook and Twitter account, you must constantly communicate with fans and become their “friends”; and you must try and find new and exciting ways to promote yourself. Without an ever present presence, you will disappear into obscurity.

Streetlight Manifesto don’t any of that. They don’t pander to the “needs,” “wants,” or “conventional wisdom” of today’s industry.  They don’t do interviews, they rarely do press photos, and despite promises to the contrary, the wait between albums is long and arduous for fans. Why don’t do they any of that? Simply because instead of focusing on social networking, they focus on their actual music and let their music speak for them. (Seriously; I asked for an interview and they politely declined saying “thanks for your interest, but if you want to know anything about Streetlight Manifesto, you can find it on their CDs.”)

So no, you may not be able to call them your Facebook friends; however, you will get songs that are, you know, actually good – great even. Ask anyone in the packed house Monday night at the Starlite Room and I can guarantee that there isn’t a single person there who would want it any different way.

For you see, Streetlight Manifesto killed it on Monday; and I mean they absolutely killed it. The seven piece band was perfect in nearly every way. They were confident and tight in only a way that a band who understands every single member can be. Despite overflowing with members, they’re able to stop and start on cue – no count in or signal. They just feel it and have everything down pat.

The band got the crowd riled up from the opening moments The Receiving End Of It All as they played through a fair portion of both Everything Goes Numb and Somewhere In The Between throughout the evening’s events. Tomas Kalnoky was having a good time – pulling a Reel Big Fish and saying “good night” after the first song. He threw water into the crowd and then said “okay, I’m all out of banter” and just awkwardly stood there for a while. They did the best fake encore ever – explaining that The Big Sleep would be their last song but since they aren’t that unconventional they’ll be doing an encore. However, they couldn’t figure out how to get backstage and were too lazy to walk around, so they simply turned their backs and waited for people to chant “One More Song.” Turning around, they magically re-appeared onstage for the cover of NOFX’s Linoleum and Somewhere In The Between.

It had been a five year wait for Edmontonians to see Streetlight Manifesto again; but those who patiently waited were more than acceptably rewarded on Monday. The band was spot on and the crowd ate it up; so even though it was minus ten outside, the people inside were drenched in sweat.

The show was a perfect ska show and the merger of Point/Counter Point with Keasby Nights will be a memory that will last a life time.  The only thing that would’ve made the show better would have been if Larry and His Flask made it to town.

So no, Streetlight Manifesto don’t do all that social networking. They don’t do interviews or press and don’t worry about all that self-promoting mumbo jumbo. Instead, they write damn good music and make sure their live show is perfected; and I don’t know about you, but I’d say that’s a fair trade. In fact, I wish more bands would think that way.