Typhoon

Free KEXP show at Doug Fir Lounge, MFNW.  One of the more unusual aspects of these free KEXP concerts has been the relatively small audiences, considering the fact that there are no competing MFNW events going on and considering the current unemployment rate.  So I was surprised upon returning to the Doug Fir this afternoon to see a line for Typhoon stretching out on to the street 30 minutes before the show was scheduled to even begin (that hadn't happened at any of the previous shows).  When I got in and the band started, I couldn't even see all of the musicians on stage, not because of the size of the crowd, though, but because of the size of Typhoon.  There are at least four more musicians on stage behind the eight or nine you can see in this picture. Typhoon features three percussionists, a three-person horn section, three strings, two guitars, a bass, and another person who I couldn't even see what she was playing.  Although that lineup may sound grandiose and bombastic, Typhoon plays subtle and sublime indie rock songs, carefully orchestrated to color the compositions, not to overpower them.  And based on the size of the crowd and the buzz on the street, they're extremely popular here in their native Portland, as well they should be.

Update:  Yup, KEXP posted a video of this set, too: