Beat Connection - Phantoms - LanceNeptune - DC9 - Nov 19 2015

LanceNeptune - The cloudy rainy day has ended, but the ominous overcast remains as I see a solitary figure take the stage behind a computer and electronic box. But the skies break rather quickly as this local musician takes an moody atmospheric beginning into likable R&B mode. The instrumental music is tuneful with just enough rhythm and is quite relaxing in an old school way. Maybe old, old school now to keep up with the amount of decades between early Earth Wind & Fire and today. This was a good start and anytime I say that for a solo electronica act, it probably is really good.

Phantoms - The crowd filled in during the opening set and is quite sizable for this dapper LA duo, also behind electronic tables. But this has those throbbing beats and pulsating bursts of melody that make me nauseous. Not so with the crowd, as the dancing gears up some. But of course, this is 'dance by numbers' music, so that is not too surprising. There are plenty of vocals now, but it is all sampled material that the crowd can likely identify a lot more than I can. It was an effective set, but those pulsations were a bit of a distraction to my concentration as I dug into my novel in the back booth.

Beat Connection - Thankfully Seattle's Beat Connection creates their beats the old fashioned way, with a live drummer setting up the bass, keyboards, guitar, and vocals. And they create every bit of a quality dance atmosphere as any electronic band. But there is also plenty going on for those of us whose bodies are not up to the task anymore. The vocals are excellent with soft romantic tones that can keep up when they ratchet up the sound. The drummer varies the beats quite a bit and the tempos less so, but there is enough variety within their overall theme to clearly distinguish their songs. Most of the songs feel well thought out. This show was a big improvement over an opening gig at the 9:30 Club as the small stage brought out the warmth and was drowned on in the volume. So, all in all, a pleasant surprise for me tonight and much less a surprise for the mostly happy crowd at the DC9.

Video Grab of the Night: As the Premier League kicks back into action tomorrow, there is always a need for speed with finishing skills for many a team. I am not sure it would be legal or even if they could locate the player, but this interloper showed off great skills here: