After reviewing Sleeping In The Aviary's Great Vacation, I knew I had to catch them live to see how their performance compared to the album. I'm happy to say they did not disappoint! The Minneapolis natives played Austin's Hole In The Wall as part of a national tour promoting the album. They weren't the headliners, but just as the lead singer of [headliners] Murdocks said, Aviary was a hard act to follow.

The 5-piece band kicked the set off with "Blacked-Out Fun," a rambunctious, dancy song written toward an ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend (and the approval of the new boyfriend: "As long as he don't cut you up / and leave your body in the dump / he's cool"). The majority of the set was comprised of Vacation songs, with the exception of a few like "Write On" and The Dinosaurs theme song. I really enjoyed "You Don't Have To Drive" live, which really highlights the way the band's vocal harmonies play off each other. The set ended with the haunting "Gas Mask Blues" that culminated in a raucous crescendo, at which point I fully expected some instruments to get smashed.

Judging by the enthusiastic dancing and several bouts of audience-participation, including clap-alongs and dinosaur "rawr"-ing, the good-sized crowd appeared to have as much fun as I did. There were a few hiccups, like a problem with the keyboard audio, but they powered through. Aviary has an instant charismatic energy that could easily lend itself to a bigger venue. The sound was polished and the performance was a blast. From behind his googly-eyed guitar, the lead singer bantered with the audience between songs. The band even joked around with the crowd and willingly donned birthday hats that were being passed around the bar.

By the time the show was over, I couldn't help wonder, why isn't this band more popular? I figure it's just a question of timing, and once a few more people discover Aviary, they are going to take off and I'll be paying three times as much to see them at Stubb's. Gladly.

-Kelsey Rodgers

Sleeping In The Aviary
21 January 2011
Hole In The Wall, Austin, TX
www.sleepingintheaviary.com

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