9/13/2010: Crystal Castles - Houston, TX

Dear Crystal Castles,

This being the second time I've seen your live show in the last month, it should go without saying that I really enjoy what you do.  Your dedication to your music really comes through in the live setting in a way that I've rarely seen in all my years.  Crystal Castles is one of the few groups who actually sound better live than on recordings (more or less).

Ethan is god-like.  Whether he's playing a really cool retro synth or vocoding the crap out of Alice's vocals, his skills are easily the backbone of the group.  And yet despite this, Alice remains a particularly mesmerizing figure live; bringing a punk rock authenticity to a genre of music that is typically plastic and hollow.  Seeing her get molested by the crowd only to go back on stage and light up a smoke like it's no big deal is pretty badass.  Oh and Chris' live drumming?  Just perfect!  You guys really have your thing down!

If you ever come back to Texas, I will be seeing you again.  And so I thought I would politely request that if you're only going to play a 45 minute set that you make sure the intermission between the opening act and your act isn't an hour long.  That seems like an especially shitty move, considering that the only thing required for setup is clearing off his table and pulling a couple of black sheets of a drumset.  Also, it's also not good when the opening act "plays" a longer set than the headliner.  I certainly didn't pay to see a dude try to hype up the crowd for an hour, and I feel as if I'm not alone in that.

But seriously, you guys rock.  I have the sweatty clothes, sore muscles, and sleep deprivation to prove it!  Just keep the bullshit to a minimum in the future.

Much love,
Cale