The Weather in Midland: Fair (with a Chance of Thunder)

In case you haven't noticed by now, this Phillyist likes Fair to Midland. A lot. We dug 'em when we saw them in July, so we jumped at the chance to see them again. We walked into the show expecting much the same as we got the first time around, and for the first time, that's exactly what we got. Darroh Sudderth is still a hell of a vocalist but something of a recluse in terms of the personality (or lack thereof) he shows on stage. And they still didn't talk to us between songs, but that could be because they were too busy rehydrating, which they would have needed to do with all the energy they put out in their songs.

So what was different this time around? Well, Fair to Midland got a bigger stage setup; they actually had their album artwork displayed behind them this time, as opposed to the 69 Eyes-bedecked stage they performed on last time. They got to play a longer set, which made us happy, but some of the more intricate songs from the album (and again, "April Fools and Eggmen" in particular) really don't come across as well live as they do on CD. Fortunately, they're seriously good musicians; we'd just like to see them maybe (::gasp::) look into getting a touring guitarist to help back up Cliff Campbell, because as good as he is, no one can play three guitar parts at the same time. And the audience seemed more receptive this time around; Chevelle's fans are clearly a bit older and a bit more mainstream than the fans of The 69 Eyes. So that made the whole experience a bit more pleasant.

I'm probably going to say this until I'm blue in the face: Fair to Midland's Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True is the best hard rock album anyone has put out in quite some time (since Avenged Sevenfold's City of Evil, and I keep going back and forth on which one I think is better). But the live performance isn't measuring up right now. Granted, when an album is that good, it's tough, but it's a little frustrating, because Fair to Midland is capable of so much more.