“I’m a nice guy. Don’t believe the shit you read on the internet”. These are some wise words said by Mark Kozelek, of whom has had it rough with the media lately. In North Carolina, he had a bit of a dispute with some fans at his show. The altercation went viral, and it unfortunately has put a bit of a damper on Kozelek’s name and his Sun Kil Moon project, of which has released a fantastic album this year (Benji). Luckily, at the Opera House, we got to see Kozelek’s real form, and that’s presumably because the fans showed him the respect he deserves.
“It’s true”, he proceeded after insisting that the stories were false, “I did tell a bunch of fucking hillbillies to shut the fuck up in North Carolina.” He would later go on and compare the audience there to a “drunk bitch” he had no idea what to do with. His bitterness towards these uncooperative attendees was as clear as crystal, but his love for us was in large quantities. He expressed his adoration for us, insisting that it may be because we are Canadians and that we fit the common Canadian stereotype (he loves our maple syrup, too). He jokingly got mad and asked “What the fuck did you say to me?” to a fan that passed a comment in jest. Maybe the media would like to see the Mark Kozelek that made a depressing album that circles around death, but we got to see the Kozelek that named the album Benji to include at least one happy thing within that release (Benji is named after the dog movie of the same name).
The sound was mostly beautifully sharp, and the orchestration was well organized. Every brush stroke on both drum kits was so lush that it carved slopes in my mind. Each guitar stroke was injected with such life that the guitars seemed to talk to Kozelek as he crooned his pondering lyrics to us. At the Opera House, a venue I’ve often associated with the many metal and extreme acts that have played there, Sun Kil Moon turned the room into a capsule of musical appreciation. People didn’t dance and go insane; They stood in awe and took in each and every moment. With a large chunk of the newest album Benji having been played, Kozelek still felt such raw emotions from these songs as they still feel fresh to us all.
He displayed such passion live that these tracks were no longer just tales. We saw Kozelek’s heart being left on the stage, and this is the understandable reason for his frustration that happened a few days ago. Who wouldn’t be upset? Does anyone like having their candid feelings being treated as unimportant? With us, he remarked on his fascination with how the Opera House was built, with the second level reminding him of a Stanley Kubrick film (he brings up Eyes Wide Shut as a possible example). This is a man that put careful thought into how he would present his personal songs live, and this is a man that just clearly loves expressionism in any form. My chest got heavy just hearing him belt out these personal songs after such scrutiny. We saw the good side of Mark Kozelek this evening, and if I can do my best to present a man and his moving music in the best, and correct, light, then so be it; I hope I did enough.
