Seeing Wu Lyf perform was like seeing Protomen perform. It wasn't bad exactly, and it certainly wasn't boring; it was just strange. Strange can often good, and there certainly were a number of memorable moments during the show:
1. When frontman Ellery Roberts came on stage to a chorus of lupine growls. You don’t hear that at, say, an Avril Lavigne show.
2. Whenever Roberts beat his chest, thwacked his face, and stared at the white cross glowing above his head.
3. Whenever the ghostly reverb kicked in between songs. The surround sound and cool breeze added another layer of mystery.
It was hard to embrace the show overall, though, because these eerie moments were undercut by ridiculousness. Funny as it is to hear someone howl “spit on blood, spit on blood, spit on blood” and “the dollar is not your friend,” it makes it hard to take the person seriously. They clearly want to be taken seriously: Wu Lyf, Wolf is Life, get it?! Mannered non sequiturs like these, however, do not help their cause: “What’s up, Washington? That much is up!…I just ate some fried chicken; pot pies those are the worst; welcome to America, b----.” Huh? Growling during a specific song can be effective; talking to the audience in nothing but growl-speak cannot.
Grade: B-
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