Ava Luna - The crowd hushed, as Ava Luna took the stage. I haven't seen Comet
Ping Pong this packed in awhile. False starts, time changes and harmonies; it's
an interesting style. I'm not sure if the songs have ended or are just
beginning. This is all so confusing in the best way. Even the lead guitarist
seems to be second guessing himself during breaks. Not only are the time signatures all over,
occasionally there are these breakdowns that would make any hardcore band
jealous. It's unexpected to say the least. The slow contemplative oohs and ahhs
mixed with these extremely aggressive power chords remind me of the fake
assuredness of the best noise rock bands. There is a lot of this back and forth
throughout the set; things that you would usually think would never be partnered.
Occasionally the keys come through as they try to find room in this ever
crowded space. So many people dancing along; I guess that’s a little generous,
as the changes keep us all guessing where they are going next. Great stuff to begin
the show tonight, reminds me a lot of The Talking Heads.
Widowspeak - Arms outstretched, faces glued to touchscreens of a
performance three feet in front of these masses: Widowspeak immediately
captivates them. The set is very slow. The music isn’t necessarily sad, more
like a nostalgic story told with a hint of melancholy. The bass is methodical,
always thumping; never too fast. The drums are steady as the guitar,
occasionally manic, finds the harmonies in those empty spaces. And even though
the music is decidedly different than what came earlier, the crowd still drinks
it up. This whole set feels as if it is a preamble to Halloween: doom and
gloom, a cold clodding journey to our eventual meeting with whatever evil
awaits us next weekend. This isn't something that may happen, it will; this is a slow,
steady march into the darkness with occasional jump scares in the guise of
behind the back guitar solos.
Teen - If I am to frame these acts in terms of Halloween; Ava Luna,
a manic, insane experience; Widowspeak, a slow, heavy walk into darkness; the
last act, Teen, could be best describe as a costume party with all your friends,
Monster Mash playing in the background. They kind of remind me of Grimes and there
are tons of great sounds coming from this five piece, especially the keys. I
can hear pitch games, arpeggios, and lots of vocoder too. I am sure there was
much more going on but unfortunately my phone died and didn’t have a back up
for my notes. Regardless of my unpreparedness, I do not need notes to remember
that Teen, feedback issues aside, played an exceptional set. One characterized
by excellent sound design that got this capacity crowd moving in a different
way.
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