The Paper Kites at Thalia Hall
I WOULDN’T HAVE PICKED A DIFFERENT VENUE IF I BOOKED THE SHOW MYSELF. THE BEAUTIFUL THALIA HALL WAS NOTHING BUT PERFECT FOR THE PAPER KITES’ OCTOBER 14TH PERFORMANCE, SHARED WITH OPENERS TALL HEIGHTS. THE QUAINT MONDAY EVENING CROWD WAS SMALLER IN NUMBERS, BUT ALLOWED FOR BREATHING ROOM WITHIN THE RUSTIC CONCERT HALL. INDIE-ROCK FANS STOOD ON THE FIRST LEVEL AND SAT ABOVE THE STAGE IN THE BALCONY AREA TO ENJOY WHAT WAS A PERFECT DATE NIGHT SHOW.
THE PAPER KITES MET ON STAGE AT 9:39 P.M., ONE MINUTE BEFORE SET TIME, OPENING WITH “TIN LOVER,” A SOFT MELODY OFF THE BAND’S LONG-AGO 2013 RELEASE “STATES.” THE DELICATE INTRO TO THE CONCERT SEAMLESSLY FLOWED INTO THE VELVETY OUTRO, “TOO LATE,” FROM THEIR 2015 ALBUM “TWELVEFOUR.” JUST TWO INTIMATE SONGS IN, I SAW WHAT FELT LIKE ENDLESS ROWS OF COUPLES NUZZLING CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER. THEN, AFTER A MOMENTARY PAUSE, THE SHOW WAS SPED INTO ANOTHER – MORE FOOT TAPPING WORTHY – “TWELVEFOUR” SONG, “REVELATOR EYES.”
THE FIVE-PART AUSTRALIAN BAND IDENTIFIES AS FOLK-ROCK, YET ALLOWED ME TO HEAR WHAT FELT LIKE MISTS OF AUTUMNAL INDIE POP, GUITAR BLUES AND 80S POP ALL WITHIN THE FIRST THREE SONGS. IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT NOTHING QUITE SURPASSED THE POPULARITY OF THEIR DEBUT SINGE “BLOOM,” BECAUSE AFTER SEEING THIS QUITE AUTHENTIC FOLK-ROCK GROUP LIVE – AND NOT BEING ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH THEM BEFOREHAND – THEY ARE SO CLEARLY WORTH MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN ACCREDITED. NOT ONLY FOR THE DEEPLY INTIMATE ACOUSTICS BUT FOR THEIR INTRICATE LYRICS THAT TAKE THEIR LISTENER ON A JOURNEY.
THE QUIET SOCIAL PRESENCE OF THE BAND BROUGHT THEM TO 15-MINUTES BEFORE THEY BEGAN A CONVERSATION WITH THE CROWD. I RESPECTED AND ENJOYED THE LACK OF CONVERSATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW AS TO ALLOW THE CROWD TO SETTLE INTO THE EXPERIENCE.
“IT’S SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE PLAYING IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VENUE,” BAND LEAD SAM BENTLEY SAID TO THE CROWD. I WAS EXPECTING HIM TO HALT THERE AND RETURN BACK TO THE MUSIC, RATHER THAN EXPLAINING TO THALIA HALL, “THERE’S TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE AT OUT SHOWS: LOVERS, WHO ARE VERY OFTEN VERTICALLY SPOONING EACH OTHER, AND THE VERY, VERY SAD SINGLES… THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE MORE OF THEM. THEY’RE VERY HARD TO SPOT BUT YOU MIGHT SEE THEM DURING THE SET WITH A SINGLE TEAR.” THE CROWD, FILLED OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE MOSTLY COUPLES, LAUGHED AT THAT ONE.
THE NIGHT’S PERFORMANCE CONTINUED WITH AN EVEN SPREAD OF OLD SONGS AND NEW ONES FROM BOTH OF THEIR 2018 ALBUM RELEASES, “ON THE TRAIN RIDE HOME” AND “ON THE CORNER WHERE YOU LIVE.” THE SMALL THALIA HALL CROWD HAD A HEAVY WEIGHT TO CARRY WITH SO MANY IMPASSIONED TRACKS ON THE NIGHT’S SET LIST, YET SWAYED THROUGH THEM WITH EASE.