Taken on its own accord as a snapshot of a band's career,
Causing a Catastrophe -- Live is a bit lackluster on several fronts. What comes through loud and clear via big guitars and screaming fans is
Flickerstick's rock star posturing. For at this mark, they are a young band, though not a bad band. They simply lack the artistic finesse and musical diversity of a more well-seasoned group, such as
U2,
R.E.M., or even
Counting Crows. No doubt that will come with more experience and a few ego bruises. Judging by the audience reaction, they seem to be on the right track. Submit the singalong version of "Sorry. . .Wrong Trajectory" as evidence of that argument. It's a pretty decent pop/rock song, to be sure. An appropriately spirited cover of
Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" goes a long way towards adding credibility as far as cool influences go. Nice choice, that one. If you enjoy saying you knew a band way back when, check it out, because with a little luck,
Flickerstick will be in it for the long haul. ~ Kelly McCartney