I had been wanting to post this concert review of Marriages since I saw the show back in July, but between the website re-boot and then fixing the massive amount of broken links and preview pictures it kind of got put on the back burner. Now with things on the site looking all fancy and functioning properly I felt that it was finally time to get my feelings out there about the live performance that Sargent House’s Marriages brings to the stage.
I have been a huge fan of Marriages since they released Kitsune back in May of 2012. I was also really into Red Sparowes when they were still around. In case you don’t know, Marriages is basically RS, but a more streamlined version with the added bonus of Emma Ruth Rundle providing original and intriguing vocals to the post-rock, spacey vibe. Marriages immediately began touring after the Kitsune’s release and I patiently waited for them to arrive in Salt Lake City, but as is the case with most small tours and Utah, Marriages kept skipping over SLC.
I was super stoked to learn that Marraiges had booked a date in July at Kilby Court, especially after I found out that Chris Common (These Arms Are Snakes) was filling in for Andrew Clinco on drums. I had seen Common drum live a couple of times with TAAS and he was an absolute beast. Needless to say, Marriages did not disappoint. In fact, I would say they more than impressed me with their live show. They played Kitsune from start to finish with passion and precision, while also adding in extended intros, outros and flourishes that made listening to these songs live a totally unique experience. Rundle was captivating and enigmatic, Greg Burns was solid as usual (I’ve seen Burns play live a few times as well with Red Sparowes and I’m always amazed at how solid and full his bass playing is. His use of chords is exceptional.) and Common beat the shit out of the drums as expected.
However, the real treat of the night was getting a preview of the new material that Marriages had been working on. After they finished up with the all six sections of Kitsune the band graced the audience with a couple of new songs. The two new songs the band played showed some serious growth in their sound and showcased more prominent melodies and vocals from Rundle, as well as some really killer guitar hooks and song structures.
Over the past two months I had almost forgotten just how awesome Marriages were live until I re-watched all the video clips that Isaac took at the show. Marriages are something special on record and definitely even more magical live. If you get the chance I highly recommend catching them in concert. I promise they will not disappoint and it will make you appreciate their music even more. I can’t wait for new material from the band.
Also, it seems that someone stole all of Marriages gear and flooded their apartment! (Bastards). So if you love them as much as I do you can help them re-coup some costs from the incident here. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/marriages-maliciously-burglarized-and-displaced