People who like Bloc Party really love Bloc Party. Is it the intense melodies? Is it the infectious vocals of Kele Okerke? Is it the heavy drums and guitar? To their biggest fans, it's all of the above that have made Bloc Party a favorite among the indie crowd. Their new wave rock has been compared to The Cure, Gang of Four, Sonic Youth and Joy Division, but the band would say they have made a sound all their own.
At Intonation Music Festival last July, Chicago got a taste of some new tracks from their sophomore album A Weekend In The City. After that preview, it felt like forever waiting for the album's February release. Fans were not disappointed. A Weekend In The City is a little slower and darker as a whole than Silent Alarm, but it also has a more mature, emotional sound. "The Prayer" exemplifies the dark guitar rock that is classic Bloc Party, but there are more eerily romantic songs this time around, including "Waiting for the 7:18" and "Sunday". AWITC also has a more encompassing sound. You can just imagine the ending of "SRXT" filling an arena.
Bloc Party hit the scene first in the UK in 2005 with the release of their first studio album, Silent Alarm. "So Here We Are", "Banquet" and "Helicopter" all quickly hit the singles charts. While Bloc Party celebrated success in the Europe and Japan, they never had a single reach the US charts. Their popularity is growing, however, with AWITC hitting number 12 on the Billboard album chart, compared with Silent Alarm's peak at 114. You can occasionally hear a Bloc Party song on a television commercial; I even heard one on a tournament basketball game break.
Like I said, Bloc Party fans love Bloc Party. Many were disappointed to miss them on tour in late 2006 with Panic! At The Disco. They were forced to drop out of the tour early because drummer Matt Tong suffered a collapsed lung. Now everyone is healthy and ready to rock. Okerke always leads an energizing live show, and Friday will be no exception, if you're lucky enough to already have tickets… this show is sold out.
Bloc Party
Congress Theater, Friday 3/23
Sold Out
