TV On the Radio, Metro Theatre, 24/01/09

I sometimes wonder to myself; what bands will define the music of the 2000s? Though it’s a bit of a pretentious indie wanker question, I usually end up going through a list of acts such as the Arcade Fire, the White Stripes, Kanye West and always end up including TV on the Radio.

While they aren’t as well known or popular as the others, without a doubt they will be of those bands you will still be talking about years into the future; when you saw them, what they were like, how they changed everything for you. They are one of, if not the, most innovative and unique band around at the moment. There is no one you can compare them to and no way you can describe them other than an as amalgamation of so many different styles. The best thing to do is to get someone to listen to their music.

I’ve seen them play once before. I saw them play live was at the Gaelic Club in 2006. It was their first tour to Australia (they were on the bill for Splendour in the Grass) and played to a full house.

I remember that show because I lost my own sense of time watching them play from the upstairs balcony. I don’t think that’s ever happened to me before. They were electrifying, they just grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. After they finished, it turned out that they had only played an hour long set but it didn’t feel like it at all.

Why Theory?

Named after a song by Gang of Four, the idea behind Why Theory? is to share thoughts, opinions, passions and annoyances with one another in whatever form it takes with a wide range of friends and acquaintances.

The initial idea came about due to my frustration with the media more generally and its lack of quality. Other than a few publications such as the New Yorker, Overland and Popmatters, I found that there aren’t many quality publications in print or online. While there may be something good and thoughtful here or there, most of it is mediocre.

I came to the conclusion that I’d get much more out of reading and discussing ideas with friends and acquaintances than reading an opinion column in a newspaper and more likely than not, it would be of a higher quality.

I chose the format of an online magazine as it was more flexible and let people contribute as irregularly as they wanted to and so that people would not feel obliged to submit for the sake of it. Writing purely for the sake of publishing something is what’s wrong with a lot of the media and leads to…well crap being published.

I hope you enjoy Why Theory? and decide to submit something of your own.