We are all Nothing and Something, 13 Day Mission, Batata Dolce, The Shizzies - 11-26-07 - Lennys
Monday, December 3, 2007
We are all Nothing and Something - http://www.myspace.com/mrkill
13 Day Mission - http://www.myspace.com/13daymission
First to take the stage this evening were We are all Nothing and Something. Bret and I had spoken to the drummer beforehand and discussed music a bit. The drummer informed us that they were very keen on writing/playing music that was different than normal. We agree on the subject and when they got on stage they lived up to their word. The psychedelic feel that this band possessed was very pleasant to the ear and took me back to early Pink Floyd/Santana era. Another thing I enjoyed about this band was their ability to go from a very random, spacey sound to a straight 4/4 folk beat that drives through the listener while the singer goes into his lyrics either singing or screaming them. The band as a whole was very talented but about the middle of their set the bass player broke out into a slap bass riff that made me pay attention to what he was doing until the song ended. This was the best piece played by We are all Nothing and Something that evening, and I would like to hear more from this band.
Second on stage was 13 Day Mission. After setting up our gear to the side we went to Johnnys Pizza for a beer and food before our explosion took place. As with most sets we started with the Apollo Loop that we had created previously to give a nice countdown to the beginning of the show. Our set is always energetic and fast paced from beginning to end. I could tell that it was loud because when we started our set the crowd took some steps back from the stage, we forgot the box of earplugs and I do not think may people brought their own. I could tell Bret was having troubles getting his bass to sound the way he wanted, and then after our third song he figured out that his two 10's were not plugged in and that is why his solos could not be heard. Chalk one up to experience. Even with that going wrong for us I think we played a solid set from beginning to end with no major mistakes on either of our parts.
After playing music at the intensity that 13 Day Mission does it is needless to say that I need to sit and have a drink for a few minutes. So enters the next band on stage, Batata Dolce. The first thing I notice about this band is it's size, I count six people on stage. When the music starts I can tell that this set is going to be enjoyable for the entire crowd. With a mix of latin and folk beats this band jammed for a solid 30 to 40 minutes during which all members were having a great time on stage. The singer could be heard well over all of the instruments and occasionally took part in beating some back up percussion with the other percussionist. The bass player, who also plays with the band Elevado, was thumping and the guitar held down a steady flow of melodies. The only thing I did not like about the show was that the percussionist was not very well mic'd so I could not always hear his beats very clearly, but he was playing very well along with the drummer behind the set. There was always a constant beat being held by either maracas or a tambourine either played by the singer or percussionist. Batata Dolce was a laid back fun loving band that conveyed the fun to the audience the entire show.
Last on stage was The Shizzies and there is one word that comes to mind while listening to The Shizzies, and that is punk. These guys played a very rhythmical heavy set full of punk influence which had the crowd into the music and approval could be felt after every song. The guitarist was rocking his instrument very hard giving the crowd flash backs of the 80's era with his arm going in circles as he solos. The lyrics were hard to discerns because of the screaming nature of the guitarist/vocalist but that is a style that belongs to punk music. If one spent more time with the music the lyrics would develop meaning, but only hearing this band once it was hard to hear the words. The vocals were very good though and the vocalist scream was very enjoyable to the listener. The bass player evidently was a new addition to the band, but he played their set like a veteran of the music. His bass riffs and the kick drum pounding through the speakers echoed through the venue. All of the shows this evening were very enjoyable and I look forward to hearing these bands again.
- Steven Mosley
Labels: ShowReviews
posted by oriax @ 5:07 AM,
