CURSIVE
8 p.m. Revolution. $12 adv., $14 d.o.s.
Probably it’s fair to say that Cursive‘s latest disc, “I Am Gemini,” confounded more than a few of the band’s longtime fans. It’s a convoluted concept album (but aren’t they all?) about twin brothers named Cassius and Pollock, one good, one evil, who were separated at birth but are reunited in a creepy old house, and also for some reason there are Siamese twin girls, conjoined at the head. I don’t know, there was a sizable booklet that was included with the promo CD and featured all of front man Tim Kasher’s lyrics and stage directions, but I can’t find it at the moment. (Ah, here it is.)
For the most part, critical reaction to “I Am Gemini” has been middling. Drowned in Sound’s Ruth Singleton gushed that it was “a monumental return to form for Tim Kasher after his somewhat dubious foray into the world of solo artistry,” while Pitchfork called it “Cursive’s weakest album by a disheartening margin” and Pop Matters writer Josh Langhoff dismissed it thusly: “For all its tempo shifts and attempts at fun, Gemini sounds like the work of an ascetic band scared of pleasure.”
But hey, as Cursive reminded us back in 2003, “Art is Hard.” And even if “I Am Gemini” was a bit of a dud, Cursive has a huge back catalog and one of the most dedicated followings in indie rock. This Monday night show is sure to be packed.
Opening the all-ages show are Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits.