Maybe it’s our attachment to their records or maybe it’s just what makes their music special, but LA DISPUTE have a way of wringing emotions right out of you. And not just “Oh, I feel really sad” moments. Given their aptitude for bringing recordings to life in a live setting, it’s hard not to hear “Woman (In Mirror)” or “First Reactions After Falling Through The Ice” and flashback to an extremely personal moment that casually falls in sync. It’s riveting stuff – an accurate display of how music can grab a hold of you, tear open vulnerable memories, and bandage an imperfect heart.
That experience is ultimately why we decided to showcase two dates from La Dispute’s current tour run. After attending their affair at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall, we made the trip to Pontiac’s Crofoot Ballroom (April 3rd) to take in one of their two Michigan shows and highlight their ability to be consistent (and from every angle). TITLE FIGHT and THE HOTELIER are known for all of the above and in ways that deserve a lot more attention, but Jordan Dreyer and his fellow bandmates seemingly know how to make their sets more intimate and intricate, even if it’s another jarring split of Wildlife and Rooms Of The House that may feature a Somewhere At The Bottom encore. As photographs are today’s visual essays, check out Joel Pilotte’s gallery above.
La Dispute’s Rooms Of The House, Title Fight’s Hyperview, and The Hotelier’s Home, Like Noplace Is There are available in stores now.