The Anatomy of Frank – Davidseck, Basel; November 24th, 2017
I had only great memories of last year’s The Anatomy of Frank concert at Davidseck in Basel and was looking much forward to returning to the venue. For the guys, it was the same. They love the place and its people, telling Vegard, their sound guy all tour just how much fun it is to play there. It was a nice concert for sure, I loved the setlist and after a slow start, the audience gut into it as well. Yet I have to admit that it could not live up to the previous year’s awesomeness. The band played their hearts out though and I did enjoy the concert a lot, so of course it was worth the trip.
The train ride to Basel is a comfortable one with just one change in-between and the trains were not too packed either. I stayed at the same hotel as last time around and got there early enough to go for an afternoon swim before the show. Arrived at the venue a little before the doors opened and was inside just as the downpour started. P. and A. who arrived shortly after me got soaked. Said hello to everyone I remembered from last year, chatted with A. a friend of the band and one of the organizers, waited. L. arrived and a few more familiar faces, but nowhere near as many people as the previous year. It was past the official starting time and the pace was still half empty. I had some more tea and wondered what was happening and where everyone was.
Eventually the guys started playing and Kyle told us how much they loved this venue and the people here, how they had told Vegard that Basel had the best audience. The first song was ‘Scandinavian Moon’ and I really felt the line about missing Thanksgiving to play a half-empty venue. For a brief moment, it seemed like Kyle looked a little lost there and my heart went out to the guys for having such a small audience that night. In the beginning, they were a bit too quiet as well, but luckily they warmed up later. I love that song though. It it a great one to start the show with and I regretted not having been quick enough with my camera to record it. If ‘Scandinavian Moon’ and ‘Svalbard’ are any indication the Europe album is going to be great. Somewhere on this tour I asked Kyle if that album was going to be the next of the continent albums and he confirmed it. 😀
The next three songs where the ones they mostly played back to back on this tour: ‘Photographs of Inuvik in January’, ‘Minnesota Part I’ and ‘Diagonal North America’ – these three never get old and I am always happy to hear them. In fact I have heard ‘Diagonal North America’ so often I tend to forget that it is not on the North America album, but a B-Side to it. 🙂 ‘Patagonia’ followed and it is one of those songs that I knew and loved long before the South America album. The Anatomy of Frank always try their new songs out during concerts. It’s often interesting to ear how they evolve. It feel like ‘Patagonia’ has not changed all that much. It was amazing from the beginning. 🙂
Before ‘Holy Mountain’ Kyle did the usual “This is not just a CD on a square piece of paper but a poster” thing – it always results in laughter and cheers as soon as he reveals the poster. 🙂 Needless to say the song was beautiful. They ended the first set with ‘Andes’, another one of my favorites. That song has so many great lines about conquering your fears and talks about things we fear in life and how we often let life beat us up or scare us. There’s also hope though, it has a sense of not giving up that I love. One day I’m gonna have to ask about the backstory to that song. <3
After a break to get more drinks and eat some sweet or salty snacks the guys were back on stage with ‘Ecuador’. During the break I had talked to A. who said they were certainly louder than the previous year. True, but I love how they rock now. That song though is a bit on the softer side. I watched L: for a while. She was walking around filming and taking pictures, even from outside the venue. For ‘The Landing of the plus ultra flying Boat’ the band had everyone sing along “You are the one!” – it was fun and woke up the few members of the audience who had not been very active until then.
Kyle thought it was a good time to tell a story about his best friend David. It was one I had not heard yet. We learned about steep mountain roads where he drove like a madman on a trip to the Amazon. It was funny when he told it, but I know I would not have wanted to be in that car and I’m pretty sure I would ave thrown up too at the end of the trip. 😉 ‘How do we lose it’ and ‘To keep out Hands from shaking’ were played back to back, the latter ending with some great drumming. Have I mentioned yet how much I love the sound of the South America album?
Next we heard a few words about Ecuador’s greatest living painter Viteri and a few words about the writing of the song by that name. Kyle said he wrote it and thought it was pretty good, but only when he played it to people and started crying he knew he really had something. He is right. <3 I can never find adequate words to describe the power and the beauty of that song. “Somehow through the ache of love that’s lost it’s receiving end,,,” :’)
Before the happy “lalala” of ‘The sunken Coast’ drove the tears and somber mood away, we got to hear the story of Ørjan the Norwegian sound guy who promised to tour with them and then could not make it to all the shows, but send the most perfect replacement: Vegard. Having heard both of their work I must say Kyle is right: they are both great! Of course we clapped and cheered for him! Then it was time for the “lalala” sing along, some laughter and fun! It was time to thank everyone before ending with ‘La Llorona’ and more singing from us. 😀
The final song of the night was “a song about following your dreams” – Vancouver. When Kyle talked about the time we were “Just a little Swiss child”, P. and I looked at each otehr, shook our heads and smiled because neither of us is Swiss. The song was fun as always and during it, Kyle sat down next to A. and sang to him. 🙂 One last sing along, a jump high in the air, a few bows and it was over. It may not have been a huge crowd, but it was still a good show. I said goodbye to everyone and told the guys I’d be there again the next day. 🙂
Setlist
Scandinavian Moon
Photographs of Inuvik in January
Minnesota Part 1
Diagonal North America
Patagonia
Holy Mountain
Andes
Ecuador
The Landing of the plus ultra flying Boat
How do we lose it
To keep our Hands from shaking
Viteri
The sunken Coast
La Llorona
Vancouver