OvO / SubArachnoid Space / Souvenir’s Young America / Ultra Dolphins @ Plaza Duckpin Bowl (09-27-09)

Night started out with a set from Souvenir's Young America. Real blissed out metal infused with noise and harmonica freak outs. Their set was actually quite intense at times and I was very impressed by the whole thing. From their body language through the night they seemed a little disappointed with their set. Honestly i'm not sure what they were upset about, they are some of the best local support ive seen in a while.

SubArachnoid Space was next up to bat. Total rad and vicious spaced out rock is what these guys deliver. The rumble of the rock that comes out of their amps just takes you on this new age freak out journey that is something just incredible to witness. You just sit back and let it erase your mind. Really didnt know much about these guys going into the show, but they are differently a band now that i'm gonna do some reasarch on.

The first thing you need to know about Ovo's set was that it was a total barrage of many performance art antics. Between the mask and dress combo both band mates were wearing, to starting a show by rining bells for a couple minutes and walking around the audience, to literally playing a bow on the dreads of the female singer - creating a disarray of noise feedback (no joke). These elemtns add to the tension and desperation of the music, and made this one of the stranger show ive seen in quite some time. But even when you put these performance art pieces aside you still have a real sick rock group. With minimal but pounding percussion, to built up guitar sounds being engulfed by the death growl of a women. Their is something quite unique about this group but is so hard to pin down. Either way after this show - I couldn't be more excited for what this band has in store down the road.

Sort of ducked out of seeing Ultra Dolphins to hang with some friends, sorry guys - it was nothing personal

Overall pretty solid night, kind of a shame so few people seem to end up at shows when they happen at Duckpin (that travel across the bridge might be just to much to handle) but still im happy to see that shows of this style still come to richmond.

The Books / Lymbyc System @ The Southern (09-25-09)

The Books are a band that I have quite a complicated relationship with. Back in 06 while up late one night surfing the web I stumble upon a review for their record Thought For Food. Something in the review sparked my interest and the next day I went out to Plan 9 and picked up a copy of the record (yes there was once a time when I payed money to find out about new music) When I got home and listened to it I was stunned by how brilliant this record was. Never before or again has electronic music sounded so good, organic & beautifully erratic when infused with string instruments. For about a year The Books were on a pedestal for me as an untouchable band. Sadly this title sort of crumbled when my friend Erik showed me their record Lost & Safe. When the record came on I just couldn't believe this was the same band that I had championed. That great organic and erratic feel that I loved so much had been replaced for instead a dumbed down presentation of their electronic infusion. The record in theory isn't as bad as my emotional feelings towards it, but at the same time that doesn't change the fact i just really don't care for that record.

Even with this mixed feeling on The Books now as a group, when I heard that they were going to be playing Charlottesville I couldn't help but feel excited. Screw being pissy about an album of theirs. With the fact they were playing a show near me, added with all the positive talk I had read and heard about their live show, it become quite clear that a road trip to Cville was in-store for me.

The first band of the night was Lymbyc System. They are kind of in the same vein as The Books considering both bands infuse electron with string instruments. Their set was a mix of many on and off moments. Sometimes during the set they would get into a really sweet groove and everything would seem to click just beautifuly, however at other times it just seemed like an kilter jam session where I could tell where the band was trying to go with their musc, but it just never really seemed to click together. To be fair I haven't listened to any of the studio material from this band, so this whole "on and off" thing could just be how they flow in general, or it could be just how their live show was last night.

After a short wait The Books were up next. I am very happy to report that my quasi anxious feelings were completely unnecessary, because The Books really are a terrific live act. From the sweet mind fucking video presentation, to the gorgeous weaving the instruments take through the sea of electronic bliss. These elements are something that just sparks so beautifully live and hits you hard into a joyous numb state. Through out the night The Books used the show to present some new material that I am presuming is gonna be on their next record. While sadly, but not surprisingly it doesn't come close to the material that was on Thought For Food, however it did seem much more intriguing and organic then the material fond on Lost & Safe. My personal favorite of these new songs is a track called Cold Freezing Night. The track is a real fun hyper active number in which The Books use lots of samples of 10 years going crazy on tapes made with Talkboy's (that recording device Macculay Culkin has in Home Alone 2) this track is quite sweet and gets me real excited to see studio cut of this song and others played last night.

Overall the night was quite great. The Southern really started off its life as a venue in quite impressive fashion (even if their building isn't fully constructed yet). I ended leaving the show with the same sort of feeling that I had when I saw Negativland a couple years back. After leaving both of these shows, I felt a little bit like a different person. No huge awakening on life happened after seeing either of those shows, but both shows reminded me of small joys that we all as humans take for granted. Both shows when I think of them made me feel like I grew a little after attending them, and that is something you rarely get from going to a concert.

photo courtesy of matatat

PS: their is a real sweet write up on nailgun right now that really expands quite well on more or less the same feelings i have on the books as a whole. check it out here boi

Islands / Drunk TIgers / Nude Photos Of Celebrities @ Duckpin Plaza Bowl (09-23-09)

(crummy photo will be posted once i'm back in rva)
(((now you have real crummy photo ----SWEET!!!)))))
fuck it - i'm just gonna steal the photos used in RVA Mag

Even though i'm not the most knowledgeable person on Islands, when I heard they were coming to the Plaza Duckpin Bowl, I realized it was one of those mandatory richmond events I had to attend. However after this show i'm starting to question listening into people hyping up shows. Not like the show was bad, but then again it was what it could of been.

Nude Photos Of Celebrities were the first band of the night. Honestly their set was quite forgettable beside for the main singer of the group wearing some sort of silver colored woman's front piece . Just bland rock music coming from a band with a sweet name.

Drunk Tigers were next on the bill. I was somewhat disappointed by their opening set for Pattern Is Movement back in June so I really wasn't expecting much from them at all. Boy was I ever shown up by these guys. In just a couple of months Drunk Tigers have improved so much. They play these real fun polished hard hitting rocks songs with a vocalist reminiscent of Calvin Johnson minus that trademark Calvin Johnson twang (u know what i'm talking about). Really solid opening act set and I'm happy that my negative feelings are a thing of the past. Seriously this actually might of been the best set of the night ( no joke).

When Islands first walked on stage they just seemed out of placed, They just seemed so disappointed to be playing at of all places a bowling alley, this would be a feeling that was present the entire show. Their show started off well enough with minimal beats and organ sounds being fused with indie rock. It was enjoyable, and I was really digging the vocal hooks from the lead singer. However through out the night, the energy of the show started to deteriorate. Just to many still bodies added with a band who just didn't know if they were actually putting on a fun show just killed my energy completely. Don't get me wrong I had a good night out and don't regret attending this show at all. I'm just saying ive seen better shows, and i'm sure the Islands have to.

photo courtesy of Abigail Eisley

More September Shows

There has been two new shows that have come to my attention that are happening in September that should totally be worth checking out


(FUCKIN' SWEET POSTER)

(09-23-09) Islands / Drunk Tigers / Nude Photos of Celebrities @ Plaza Duckpin Bowl
Indie darlings Islands are coming to the duckpin bowling alley. To be honest ive never actually listened to these guys before but considering all the positive talk ive heard about this band from friends is enough incentive to check them out when they roll into town. Also the fact that its at duckpin should make be the icing on the cake for the night.



(09-29-09) Aluk Todolo / Lusseria / Caves, Cavers @ Gods House (???)
Aluk Todolo is real sick psychedelic metal for ITALY. Considering the death of Nara Suhi it is quite nice to see the music that venue used to provide is still coming to richmond. To be honest I have no clue where Gods House is /// but if you can track this show down it should totally be worth attending

Peelander-Z @ Mojo's (09-15-09)

One of the greatest concerts I ever attended in high school was going to see Peelander-Z play at Outback Lodge. Never before had I seen a band so out of control and yet so ridiculously positive at the same time. With their catchy pop-punk songs fused with engaging concert gimmicks (handing out pans n' drum sticks to bang on // human bowling // etc) they where a band forever sketched in my mind as one of the most fun live bands around. And now a year later after that show I have been reaffirmed that this band truly is still one of the best live acts.

The night started off with a group called "Baby Help Me Forget". To be honest I really wasn't paying to much attention to their set for I was eating french fries with some friends. They put on a rock set - it seemed acceptable.

After that was "The Bottle". They put on a fun energetic punk(ish) set. Its that type of punk where its not really hard core - but then to just call it punk wouldn't really fully described it (yeah - one of those bands) It was a fun opening act / and I could see these guys really going some where with their music.

After that bundle of opening acts it was time for Peelander-Z. As stated before this group did not disappoint. Between the mad energy of people dancing / to the other worldly presence that is Peelander-Z / or the fact that these guys even without their over the top personas know how to play some kick ass rock tunes - basically their set was mad fun all around. Seriously whenever you get the possibility to see these guys play live go for it. Every time i've seen them know i've come home soaked in sweat and beer and have been lifted into a different realm of consciousness where everything seem just a bit more brighter.

Clipse / The Cool Kids @ The National (08-31-09)

Last nights show started out with The Cool Kids doing an opening set for Clipse. While i've seen these guys put on good sets before tonight wasn't one of those nights. Their was absolutely no energy from these guys at all. It seemed that they where on autopilot during the show and just on tour to keep their name afloat till they release there first LP (all their other stuff has been Ep's and mix tapes right?) The Cool Kids are still a group worth checking out / however last nights set was most defiantly a let-down.

Clipse on the other hand showed up and threw down during their set. Manly a set of material from "Hell Hath No Fury" there is a passion on their albums and live show that is just hard to deny. Sadly the lyrics during the show were hard to make out at times due to The National totally fumbling on the sound of the show. This however didnt hurt the show to much - the energy of everything all around was just an unstoable force - and silly sound issues werent gonna kill that.

Clipse is a group differently a group worth the hype. They have a new album "Till The Casket Drops coming out in October. Hopefully that one can match the weight of "Hell Hath No Fury".