TV On The Radio Onstage

TV on the Radio's band name was always as appropriate as can be. The postmodernism implied by its mixture of media fit the band excellently because it has made its career by creating collages of genres and sounds. On the early records, David Andrew Sitek, one of the two founders and the band's producer, was credited with "music," not any specific instruments, which was apt because it wasn't apparent which instruments the band was actually playing then. He and Tunde Adebimpe, the other co-founder and lead singer, compressed, looped and warped their instruments so that they weren't recognizable, though they were still hypnotizing.

On stage at the House of Blues last Saturday, some of TV on the Radio's mystery dissipated when its five members stood onstage holding actual instruments. Even with their banks of keyboards, synthesizers and machines, you could almost figure out what they were up to. Then again, you couldn't quite figure it out: They began the show with a three-minute instrumental, with Sitek attaching chimes to his guitar's neck to create more sound. It slowly evolved into "Young Liars," the title track from the band's first EP. The mystery was not solved.

Through the rest of the night, they generally played any uptempo song of theirs, a relative term for most of TV on the Radio's oeuvre, much faster than it appears on record. "Staring at the Sun" and "Satellite," which closed the encore, were nearly punk rock songs. This was moderately disappointing because, again, the band's strength is its mystery and nuance in creating a style of music that no one else touches these days. Nuance tends to dissolve at such tempos. Then again, it was a concert -- people expect to be thrilled and rock songs certainly help the cause. TV on the Radio certainly had the crowd in its hands, particularly Adebimpe, who is quite a good dancer. The show was a bit simplistic (and brief, due to the House of Blues' house rules to clear the venue by 10 p.m. so it can become a nightclub) but despite this, no one does what TV on the Radio does, even after nine years as a band. They deserve a lot of credit for it, especially considering how popular they've become, and for making a capella somewhat cool.

Farewell to Gerard Smith, their bassist, who died of lung cancer this week. Above is the video for TV on the Radio's performance of "Wear You Out," from several years ago. The video's quality is surprisingly good.