TRAVIS - CONCERT REVIEW - FINGERPRINTS RECORDS - LONG BEACH, CA - 10/7/2013

We are simply blown away by the quality in-store performances that Fingerprints Records continues to book. Tonight's show was by far one of the best we've seen. The Scottish band Travis stopped by the East Village record store and played an inspired six song set of mellow Alt Rock followed up by one of the longest autograph sessions we've ever experienced. Tonight's show was the band's last US date before embarking on tour of the UK. They are out in support of their excellent new album Where You Stand which is a return to form for the band that influenced a legion of Britpop bands including Coldplay and Keane.




Travis on stage at Fingerprints Records

 This was our third time seeing Travis play live and they just seem to be getting better with age. Singer Fran Healy's vocals were magnificent and were often times chillingly beautiful. The band played three songs from the new album and three of their biggest hits from older albums. Healy gave tonight's show a "Storytellers" vibe by giving the background on many of the band's songs. He explained that "Sing" was recorded in Los Angeles while band stayed at the Chateau Marmont hotel. When the band checked out, they realized their stay at the hotel cost more than recording the entire album. He jokingly referred to this time period as "the good old days." Here's a video we shot of the band's performance of that song.

 



 

Healy also took the time to explain the inspiration behind the new song "Boxes." After guitarist Andy Dunlop bought his son the best Christmas gift money could buy he was mortified by the fact that all he wanted to do was play with the box that the gift came in. The band wrote the song about everyone's obsession with boxes from the beginning of life to death. Fran Healy joked about the band's uncanny ability to write depressing songs that sound happy.

The sold out crowd of several hundred people all seemed extremely passionate about the band and their music. When Healy asked who in the crowd had attended Saturday's Wiltern Theatre show a large majority of the crowd raised their hands. By the end of the show the sweaty room of fans were all singing along with the band as they performed their huge 1999 hit "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" Healey stopped the song about half way through and segued into a few verses of the Neil Diamond classic "Sweet Caroline."





 SET LIST

Mother

Where You Stand

Sing

Boxes

Flowers In The Window

Why Does It Always Rain On Me?



Singer Fran Healy

 



Drummer Neil Primrose