A Diversified Evening at the Symphony

                

By Lindsay Paris

             A wide variety of music fans spilled into the Atlanta Symphony Hall on Thursday Feb. 9 for a special night where Trey Anastasio, lead guitarist from popular jam-band Phish, joined together with the Atlanta Symphony to produce calming melodies that spread through the halls of the art center.

People filled the seats of the Hall, some dressed in their most inspiring Phish t-shirt while others wore evening dresses and ties fit for a night out on the town.  The people ranged from young to old, some were Phish fanatics while others were there for the Symphony. Either way, both parties could agree on the instrumental talents of each member on the stage. While Anastasio led the tunes with his guitars and vocals, Conductor Scott Dunn led the acoustic talents of the Orchestra.

I am passionate about music and enjoy a variety of genres based on their talents and the way they are composed on stage. Being an avid jam-band fanatic, I truly appreciate each cord produced by the musicians on stage. I have heard many complaints about the kind of tunes that carry on for “so long”. But, when you have such amazing talents on one stage, it’s hard to contain the inspirations that drive their songs into a specific time-frame. 

The collaboration began with the song, “First Tube”, a favorite of many Phish fans. The show focused on the instrumental value of each song performed by Anastasio and the Orchestra. Drifting away in the harmonious tunes, the night grew old and hours passed, but the crowd remained clueless to the passing time solely focused on the emphasis of musical cords and natural acoustics that stretched each song out. Hours later, Anastasio returns to the stage for the final time playing a second encore of “The Inlaw Josie Wales”. Studying the set-list after the show, I was surprised to find that it was a mere 13 songs that filled the evening, but it only enforced the power of each song performed. The melodies carried me through the night without a worry in mind. The calming strums of each instrument and the vocals of Anastasio merged together to form an all too natural relationship.

Phish is commonly seen at festivals or big amphitheaters with screaming fans decked out in their finest Phish gear swaying in a tight crowd to the beats of the music. Take away the psychedelic lights, the glow sticks and the herbal festival aromas, Anastasio continues to skillfully capture the true essence that built Phish into the success they are today. The instrumental and vocal talents of the band shine with or without the flashy concert atmosphere. Anastasio, constantly alternating between his acoustic guitar and his electric guitar, properly adapted to the nature of the orchestra and produced the most calming, romantic melodies, slightly more relaxed than those of a Phish show.

The wide variety of instruments was represented in the beauty of the songs produced throughout the entire evening. Being a huge fan of jam-bands and festival scenes, it was a relief to hear these familiar melodies in a calming atmosphere. This particular gathering captured these musical artists in the raw, and each instrument was highlighted in its most natural light. 

SET LIST

Set 1: First Tube, Water in the Sky, Divided Sky, Brian and Robert,Goodbye Head, Guyute, Let Me Lie, Stash

Set 2: Time Turns Elastic, If I Could, Your Enjoy Myself

Encore: Golden Slumbers, The Inlaw Josie Whales

Dumbfounded in Concert

Rapper Dumbfoundead Leaves Emory Students “Dumbfounded”

By: Mei Brasel

Asian American artists are beginning to leave their mark in the entertainment industry. They are the performers and YouTube is center stage. The video-sharing network is a meeting ground between talented Asian Americans who have bonded and are slowly taking over cities together and putting their talent on display. From charismatic crooner Joseph Vincent to eccentric songstress Clara Chung to visual pioneers Wong Fu Productions, these artists draw hundreds in numbers wherever they go. They embrace social networks to help pursue passions that would otherwise be impossible to display to the world. Dumbfoundead is no different.

 Dumbfoundead, formally known as Jonathan Park, is originally from Argentina but credits Koreatown in California as his hometown. Originally an underground rapper, Dumbfoundead has been able to reach thousands around the world because of social networks. His YouTube channel has around 238,000 subscribers and hit over 30 million views, his Twitter page has a loyal following of over 52,000 fans, and his Facebook has thousands of "likes" as well. With these overwhelming numbers, I had great expectations of what a Dumbfoundead concert would be like--with a large crowd who screams along the lyrics until their voices become hoarse--then they scream some more.

 Boy was I wrong.

The only loud noises came when people were shoving to get a good place in line as Dumbfoundead opened up the show with his concert with "She Don't Care", a piece he wrote over two years ago. As he rapped along, audience members gave no indication that they knew of the song or even wanted to be there. In the past, in local rapping battle the audience was always in sync with the rapper--taking in the lyrics and bumping their hands up and down to the rhythm of the beat. The funny thing is that these battles usually display freestyle abilities that no one has heard before—yet the crowd is still so alive. So why is it that audiences who, just before the show, were murmuring about how much they loved Dumbfoundead—just stood there and looked like that they wanted to be anywhere else but there? Did they not look up his videos? Did they only want to come see him because he was just another Asian American star and felt obligated to come? I'll never know. I just know it was one of the most awkward concerts from an established artist I have ever been to.

 With that being said, Dumbfoundead performed flawlessly. Performing old hits like his rendition of "Liquor Store Blues" (originally a Bruno Mars song) and "The Vacation Song" to new songs from his newest album like "BRB" and "Bitch", which drew a little rumbling when the title was announced. One of the best moments of the show happened when the rapper did an acoustic freestyle using impromptu creative word-play as he paced the stage back and forth trying to keep the audience engaged. His raspy and unique voice along with snarky and blunt lyrics make him one of the best untapped talents.

 Dumbfoundead's lyrics are a perfect blend of raw material about everyday life that can and do make it relatable to listeners. You should give him a chance and listen to his music. He talks about pressures from parents, wanting to just take a break from life, and falling in and out of love. I guarantee there is at least one in the plethora of Dumbfoundead songs that can be the soundtrack for your life. Yet others would rather listen to rappers who talk about having 24- inch rims on their cars, girls flocking to them, and drinking all day and all night. Dumbfoundead has been strengthening his craft since 2006. He remained true to his roots but was able to elevate his game with fresher beats and stronger lyrics. He's real. He's fresh. He's the truth. Do the smart thing--give Dumbfoundead a listen.

           

"Town"

Cicada Rhythm in Concert

Cicada Rhythm Brings Good Ole Southern Charm to Athens

By: Jeffrey Preis

On Friday night, I was dragged to see a free show at Farm 255. It was a night of low anticipation until the band started playing. They were called Cicada Rhythm and came from Atlanta and are, from what I can tell, fairly new to the music scene. I say this because I’m sure if they had been around, I would already know them because I loved their sound, their look, their instruments, and just about anything else about Cicada Rhythm.

Cicada Rhythm is made up of only two members—Andrea DeMarcus on the Bass and David Kirslis on the Guitar. Both members sing lead vocals for their few songs (they only played five songs at Farm and I can only find that many on YouTube or their bandcamp site). The instruments are an unlikely combination—a classical upright bass paired with an Appalachian guitar—but the distinct sound works together. Their voices add to the acoustic, country-flavor that complements their bluegrass/folksy sound. DeMarcus’ voice was soulful and distinct—extremely similar to Billie Holiday’s (this in and of itself marks the beginning of a great band). Adding the bass and guitar and another lead vocalist marks a recipe for success.

Their name, Cicada Rhythm, evokes a certain emotion that many southerners may be able to relate to—summer evenings on a porch listening to the cicada’s sing in harmony. Their sound, like their name, stirs up the same emotions. The twang of Kirslis’ guitar coupled with DeMarcus’ voice is something unique that is relevant to the American south. Their songs form a link with nature which makes these remembered summer nights even more nostalgic.

The show was inside with most of the tables moved and Cicada Rhythm on the makeshift stage at the restaurant. It was fairly crowded for a band at Farm, around 75 people. The audience, however, didn’t seem engaged which was surprising since so many people came out to support them. There was a lot of side chatter and the majority of the people were carrying on conversations with their friends instead of listening to the band. This is bad news for bands that play at Farm since it doesn’t have the best acoustics (hard, stone floors; high, vaulted ceilings). This did not appear to interfere with their playing or attentiveness to their music. They seemed to be in the zone and just appreciative of the fact that this many people came out to see them. 

Three of their five songs are featured on their website (www.cicadarhythm.org):

“Hands,” “Do Not Destroy,” and “Mouse Song.” Both vocalists appear in all three songs. As the names of the songs may suggest, there’s something very organic about their composition. “Do Not Destroy” is about a desolate cabin in the woods that once stood free from the suburban sprawl: “City walls have grown so close to what I need the most…Do not destroy. What is mine, is also yours.”

DeMarcus lives in Athens and graduated from Julliard last Spring. Kirslis is a student at Georgia Tech, so the duo plays the majority of their shows in either Atlanta or Athens…for now. Their sound is stunning and I’m sure that anyone who hears them will fall in love with the music they’re making. They’re smooth and delightful and their songs will resonate with most people, especially those who enjoy a unique blend of southern charm and classical eloquence.

 

"When You're Down You're Blue" in Athens, Ga

Emily Hearn in Concert

Former UGA Student Returns to the Classic City, Where She Found 
Her First Love for Music

By: Martha Terrell

As I sat waiting at the Melting Point Thursday night I was not sure what to expect.  The crowd was buzzing with excitement waiting for Emily Hearn to take the stage, but I was a bit skeptical. When 8:45 finally came, Hearn, charming and bubbly, waltzed onto the stage to an eager crowd. Hearn's infectious personality was apparent from the beginning, and I couldn't help but love her. She covered songs from The Cranberries, Avril Lavigne, and Foo Fighters which were all popular with the audience. While she performed many of her own songs, the covers were the highlight of her set.

21-year-old Hearn, a former University of Georgia student, began writing songs her freshman year after a bad break-up that led her to perform her first live show. Ultimately, she discovered her true love, music. After leaving school to pursue music full-time Hearn has released her first indie-pop album, “Red Balloon,” and recorded her first music video, “Rooftops,” which includes an appearance by actor Bill Murray.

As the show began Hearn opened with an upbeat song titled “Not the One,” which describes being tempted by a forbidden love. These catchy beats continued through the next couple of songs, but as the upbeat songs began to sound monotonous Hearn saved the performance by covering The Cranberries' song “Linger.” With the same easy flowing style of The Cranberries, Hearn sang “Linger” in an almost identical version to the original. Covering a song is not always an easy feat but it was impressive to hear a young artist sound so professional. 

The next set of original songs were slower and gave a nice break from the bouncy rhythms at the beginning. One of my personal favorites, “Fall,” displayed Hearn's vocal talent starting with a lower range in the verses and leading to a higher range in the chorus. “Alone in This City,” an honest and raw song, showed Hearn's ability to put more emotion into her songs. The toned down set lulled the audience into a reflective state, but not for long because soon Hearn was back to more upbeat songs giving the audience a burst of energy. I even found myself ready for those catchy tunes that make me tap my feet and bounce in my seat.

The lyrics of Hearn's songs are honest and true, giving the audience something to relate to. A large portion of the audience appeared to be college-aged women, many of them singing along already familiar with the lyrics. 

With her ability to strum the guitar while singing her own lyrics to a small dedicated fan base, Hearn has potential. As she announced “If you know this song then sing along” she proceeded into a cover of Avril Lavigne's “Complicated.” The crowd loved every minute singing along to all the words. Hearn's rendition was a slightly slower acoustic version but was a crowd-pleaser. Her take on the hit song was sincere and a breath of fresh air. Hearn even showed a bit of her rocker side when she performed a cover of “Best of You” by Foo Fighters. “Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you,” she screamed out at just the right moment giving the crowd a boost as the end of the show neared. 

Hearn concluded the night with “Rooftops,” an original catchy, upbeat song. And as the show came to an end she left the crowd wanting more. By the end of the show my skepticism that this may not be my type of music, turned to surety that Hearn can put on a great show. Hearn showed she is truly versatile with her covers and her indie pop sound. She can cover many genres with her voice and talents. As she grows, her sound is sure to evolve and capture a larger fan base. 

 

"I Can't Read Your Mind"

Tyga in Concert

New and Raw Talent: Tyga, Hits the Stage at The Masquerade 

By:  Lilly Workneh

Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne are often the names many associate with the Young Money Entertainment music group, but one underrated talent in the rap bunch may have just as much star potential.

After releasing several mixtapes, hip-hop artist Tyga took to the stage last Tuesday in Atlanta and gave an impressive performance to an enthusiastic crowd.

Tyga’s concert at The Masquerade also marked the same day his latest album, “Careless World: Rise of the Last Kings”, hit stores. Which could also be one of the reasons explaining why hoards of young teenagers flocked to the doors of the venue hours before they opened at 7 p.m.

Following a brutal wait and annoying chants from overly hyped tweens, rapper YG eventually came to the stage to perform the opening act around 8 p.m. But if this beginning performance was any indication of how the remainder of the night would be, I would have been better of saving the money I spent on the concert’s half-priced tickets.

Instead, I stuck through YG’s unfamiliar songs, profanity and explicit lyrics and waited another agonizing better part of an hour for Tyga to take the stage. Eventually, around 9:30 p.m., the lights became dim, the crowd had settled and the instrumentals of “Tony Montanta” suddenly blast through the speakers as Tyga jumped to the stage in a clean Versace shirt and dark, fitted denim.

Feeding the young audience’s excitement, he followed the opener with his feature on “Roger That,” another hit record produced by Young Money also featuring Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.

After playing more of his famous mainstream features, Tyga dove into some of his popular mixtape releases like “Make it Nasty”, “Rack City” and “B*tch I’m the Sh*t”.

The crowd seemed all too pleased as Tyga hopped around to each corner of the stage. At one point, he even jumped into the crowd and was immediately surrounded by bodyguards who physically prevented any heart-fluttering moments for the girls who squealed to touch the sweat-dripping performer.

But this wasn’t the only surprise Tyga had up his tattooed-sleeve. Hip-hop group Travis Porter made their way to the stage for their performance of “Ayyy Ladies” and they rapped lines along with almost every concertgoer at the venue.  

And it was one surprise guest appearance after another once Last Kings artist Honey Cocaine came to stage next. This new female rap artist recently released a mixtape titled “F*ck Your Feelings”. Although the crowd wasn’t too familiar with her songs, her respectable stage presence engaged audience members who seemed to enjoy the loud voice from such a petite girl.

Along with Honey Cocaine’s feature songs, only a few of Tyga’s records were unfamiliar to me and a majority of them were of his latest album.

“How many of y’all bought my album that’s out today?” Tyga asked only to get a loud response from the crowd in return.

He followed this by asking, “How many of y’all downloaded my sh*t illegally?!” An even louder response came from the audience.

The crowd itself was a great mix of male and female but almost all were young high school students who had to abide to the city curfew requiring all kids age 16 and under to be home by 11:00 p.m.

And, in compliance with the law, the concert promptly ended at 10:30 after an hour-long performance from Tyga flew by quickly.

Although my taste for rap music is limited, I appreciate good performances when I see them and it is clear that Tyga has star potential.

Tyga put on a great show and he gave his best effort to please his fans. His delivery was admirable and can be easily compared to top rap artists like T.I. or Drake. This 21-year-old rapper has undeniable talent that obviously landed him with one of music’s most well known production groups.

Take his ambition, add it to his raw talent and marry it with his great stage presence and you have all the elements of a star who could potentially outshine the stunners in the game.

"Still Got It"

Girls In Concert

By: Jeffrey Preis

On Monday night, the Bay Area band, Girls (an almost utterly un-Googleable band name), played to a packed house at One Eyed Jacks. The momentous indie band is made up of five members, but it’s the main project of front man and lead singer, Christopher Owens, and bassist/producer JR White. Girls stopped in for a Monday night show in mid-tour form as part of a lengthy, 3 month tour with Unknown Mortal Orchestra culminating with what will surely be a buzzed-about appearance at both weekends of Coachella in mid-April.

After the spring time feng shui was established onstage (bouquets of flowers decorated the stage), the band arrived from behind the curtains and began powering through songs from their newest album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. To say that this one started out with a bang would be an understatement — it was loud, very loud (ears still ringing). The unabashedly catchy “Honey Bunny”, the opening track from their latest LP, came next and got the crowd jumping and singing along. Compared to all other songs played during the set, this was the standout and one of the few upbeat songs of the night. The tune is an ode to Owens’ mother with a surf guitar vibe. In stark contrast, the rest of Girls’ rather ethereal repertoire seemed to lyrically focus on the angst and anxiety for which Owens is known.

Throughout the show, Owens switched from electric to acoustic guitar several times, oscillating between songs from 2009′s Album and the band’s most recent LP from last year. The front man delivered little enthusiasm and remained rather detached from the audience, saying “thank you” sparingly. But from what I gather, this seems to be customary of Owens’ character.

He’s been compared to Kurt Cobain several times for his lyrics and his appearance. This definitely held true on Monday night as evidenced by the band’s oftentimes gnashing, hard-rocking songs, replete with simplistic lyrics and beautifully constructed imagery.

The album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, received a glowing 9.3 out of 10 from the tough and heavily influential critics at Pitchfork and such high praise in and of itself speaks highly of Girls to a large audience and has undoubtedly helped lead to their recent success. While the songs themselves may have been a tad slow at times, the music itself kept the performance afloat. Despite the lack of encore – one of the only times Owens spoke to the audience to let everyone know there wouldn’t be an encore due to running a fever that day — most fans departed the Toulouse Street venue happily and were able to rock along with Owens and the band throughout the night. Perhaps audience engagement was unnecessary — although generally appreciated (especially for coming out on a Monday) — Owens and his band let the music speak for itself.

 

"Honey Bunny"

 

King Kulture Album Review

“Hip hop with a Cause” is what many are calling the album King Kulture.  Rapzilla.com, a premier Christian hip hop site, released a compilation project called King Kulture in conjunction with Syntax Distribution on January 31, 2012.  It is a two-year charity project featuring some of the best-known artists in the Christian hip hop genre, including Lecrae, KJ-52, GTIRS, Braille, Sho Baraka and more.  The proceeds from the 16-track project will benefit a school in the Congo where the literacy rate is 66 percent (versus 99 percent in the United States).

This was a highly anticipated album because of the hype from many of the top artists featured on the album.  Artists like KJ-52 haven’t released a hit album since 2003 with his It’s Pronounced Five Two.  I was excited to hear a track from him because it had been so long.  Unfortunately, the tracks didn’t live up to the potential of their great creators or cause.  When listening to the tracks back to back, it’s hard to decipher the well-known artists from the upcoming artists, because they are all on the same level-- basic.

The idea for this project came about when Rapzilla founder Philip Rood and his team was looking for ways to expand the website’s charitable reach.  Rood’s grandparents were missionaries in the Congo.  When he decided that they “wanted to give proceeds from a project to some kind of charity in Africa” they decided to collaborate with the school, Ecole de la Borne, his grandparents founded in Kinshasa, Congo, he said in an interview with www.christianscampus.com. 

The benefit project features never before heard tracks from K-Drama, Theory Hazit, and Pro.  Thus one would think King Kulture is sure to fit the taste buds of most Christian hip hop fans.  This fan, though, was highly disappointed.  Speaking as someone who owns all of KJ-52, Lecrae, Sho Baraka, Grits, and Pro’s albums, this variety mix was a complete letdown.  It had the potential to be the best car-jamming, bump it in your room playlist but fell shy of worthy beats and memorable lines.

The lyrics are the only positive takeaway.  Although the memorable anthems were missing on this album, there were some songs that slightly sparkled.  More so, they barely glimmered like a tacky bedazzle, only because of the uplifting words in the song.     

   

 “Lift Up” is one example of these songs.  It is a track featuring Braille.  The Theory Hazit-produced track highlights Braille’s rapping abilities as he talks about pushing through adversity and uplifting others.  “I won’t forfeit I push forward,” he rhymes on the hook.  “When I uplift it’s only for his glory,” he continues.  The background “oooo Lord” voices singing are the highlight of this song.  Although I wouldn’t choose to play this throughout the day, if it comes up on shuffle, it’s a good reminder to lift up your negative circumstances and live your life.

“Get Wise” features former Reach Records artist Sho Baraka.  The track is a call to all those who ask for change, to stand up and make something happen.  “I’m sitting in this class, all the students want to argue about change but ain’t nobody doing it.  I’m sitting in this church the preacher man is teaching about new life but ain’t nobody living it,” Sho rhymes.  This might be one of my favorites on the album because the hook of the song draws you in.  I love songs that are a call to action, and this is by one of my favorite artists.  This track is a definite shimmer on the album, but it’s overshadowed by the dullness of the rest of the tracks.      

 “Don’t Leave the Dash Out” features K-Drama.   This track is a reminder to those going through tough times to “endure the process” and continue to trust God.  K-Drama says: “Don’t leave the dash out, I know it’s easy to look over when the cash is out.  Trust God in the process and don’t lash out, cause he’ll hash it out!”  I don’t like this song at all.  It is a worthy track idea, but the intro totally ruined the song for me.  K-Drama started the song saying “you know a pet peeve of mine is when people leave the dash out of my name.”  Starting with the focus on yourself and your name when you’re trying to tell your audience to not focus on themselves but God’s plan seemed like a contradictory message.   

Overall, the idea of an album like King Kulture is great, but the actual album itself is terrible.  I love the idea behind the album which is the only reason I would support it.  I compare the purchase of this album to placing $12 in a bin supporting a cause like the ones you can find at grocery store check-outs.  I walked away with a happy heart and some background noise for when I’m studying, because none of the songs are catchy enough to get caught in my head.  The positives of this album, like its cause and the positive lyrics, are immensely outweighed by the lack of anything memorable throughout the album.  If you’re looking for something where you can walk away feeling good about where your dollar went, plus you can listen to music while you sleep and subconsciously consume positive messages, then this is your album.  If not, I would stay far away and invest your money in one of Christian hip hop’s upcoming album’s like KJ-52’s Dangerous or Trip Lee’s The Good Life, set to release April 2012.

The King Kulture project released January 31, and can be purchased on itunes.

Neon City Album Review

Johnny Bertram and the Golden Bicycles

With the heavy reliance on music production like auto tuning it’s rare you turn on the radio and aren’t embraced by the artificial, robotic, and processed sound of the plug in.  There’s something to be said for an artist who isn’t afraid of imperfection at the expense of true talent and emotion.  The very reason we listen to music is to hear passion expressed.  No matter your style or taste, we can all agree on the simple fact that if there’s no feeling behind the song then why listen at all?  Johnny Bertram and the Golden Bicycles sophomore album “Neon City” highlights the beauty of raw talent, passion and the keen skill of storytelling. 

Bertram showcases his unique tenor that is both clean and cuttingly unique.   While listening you feel as if you’re traveling along with Bertram and his crew breathing the fresh air as you explore the great American land.  The tracks let you travel across the states as they combine the rustic vibe of the Northwest with a Southern soul and richness.  No matter where you’re from you can appreciate the crisp sound and original lyrics. 

A couple tracks to note for their catchy beat and melody are “River” and “Miracle.”   Out just in time for the summer season, these tracks can be played poolside or cruising in a boat soaking up the sun as you sing along “oooh oooh“ to the “River.”  Or enjoy the fun beat of “Miracle” while calling your attention off yourself and onto the world around you when it sings “say there was a modern day miracle would you see it?” 

Neon City was recorded between April and May of 2011 at the North Midtown Arts Center in Jackson Mississippi.  All of the songs were recorded live in a large room with hard wood floors that is normally used as a performance space.  This space was the perfect fit because the clear natural sounds of the room delivered crisp and clean vibes on the tracks.  

Bertram wrote all of the songs on this album and his skills are comparable to other singer-songwriters like M. Ward, Jim, James, Ray Lamontagne, and Josh Ritter.  Neon City is a well-rounded collection of acoustic/folk and guitar rocking tracks.  “Out of the Darkness” and “Mistake” both show a moodier, deeper shade to the shiny nice beats on the rest of the album.   The growth of this album showcases the union Bertram has formed with his backing band for three years.  With this much quality music on one album, and growth in one year the future holds bright things for this special band. 

Johnny Bertram and the Golden Bicycles’ Neon City will be released April 24.

Moon Taxi In Concert

It’s a Refreshing Ride with Moon Taxi

By: Allison Kwan

A 70s rock sound mixed with funky bass beats and introspective lyrics hit the Masquerade in Atlanta last Friday evening. Hell’s stage featured a new, up-and-coming band from Nashville, Tennessee by the name of Moon Taxi, comprised of five artful and talented gentlemen who were far more electric than eccentric as their name may seem to imply.

After hearing the intro to their first song of the night “Whiskey Sunset”—a melodic and upbeat combination of piano synthesizers, stimulating guitar riffs and a soulful, distinctive voice enticing me to “Drink it in, drink it in,”—I knew I had stumbled across a rare find.

Currently on tour across the nation to promote their new album “Cabaret,” Moon Taxi is comprised of Trevor Terndrup as lead vocalist and guitarist, Wes Bailey on keyboards, Spencer Thomson as lead guitarist, Tom Putnam on the bass and Tyler Ritter rocking the beat of the drums.

Everything about Moon Taxi caught me off guard: their playful, hippie-esque band name, Terndrup’s joyful nature and smiling face as he belted out deep, realistic (and very pensive) lyrics about the world we live in, and the mixed dynamic, funky beats of Moon Taxi’s instrumentals. It was pure happiness, to say the least, that exuded from the stage into the small crowd of 120 people, and I couldn’t help but drink it all in as Terndrup advised with his coy smile. 

And while I normally don’t trust men I don’t know that quickly, I couldn’t help but believe in the band’s sincerity as I continued to listen to Terndrup’s cheerful and powerful vocals. I instantly fell in love with his voice after that first song, reminding me of the early vocals of Caleb Followill from the Kings of Leon; that is, Followill from before the band’s mainstream and monotonous success. Terndrup’s voice is raw and his lyrics are imaginative. It was surprising to me to find a band that produced such definitive and meaningful lyrics without being depressing or overly emotional. As Terndrup sang out “gearing up for the last goodbye, it’s history repeated in a blink of an eye” from their song “Hideaway,” a devoted respect started to form for their poetic compilations; a similar respect that began to form after discovering Brandon Boyd’s expressive writing style when first being introduced to Incubus. But Moon Taxi accomplish their ecstatic harmony by pairing their profound lyrics with their own unique rhythm of rock, funk, jazz, and reggae all rolled together to make the progressive indie rock sound that is Moon Taxi. 

Their creative ingenuity continued to be evident as Moon Taxi played more songs from “Cabaret”, including “All the Rage” and “Mercury,” and then onto instrumental solos—Bailey, jamming with intense passion that was purely magnetic on double keyboards. Ritter smoothly slamming away each beat with his drumsticks. A duet of Thomson and Putnam creating an inspiring symphony with their opposing guitar strums. Finally, to all five reemerging as one to play a brand new song, not on the current album, called “Change.”

The band also performed the late Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” but with their own added flair and older songs from their previous albums “Melodica” and  “Live Ride.”

After the set, I realized that their unique and creative sound matches perfectly with their unconventional, quirky name Moon Taxi. And I could tell from the audience’s reaction that they were just as pleased as I was for making it out to the Masquerade that night. My only complaint was that their performance was far too short; being enveloped by the sounds of Moon Taxi for only an hour and a half was just not enough.

But even after the music had physically stopped. Their sound had become infectious and continued to flow through the veins of my fellow Taxi-ravers, who proudly continued their merry dancing into the streets.

For me, it was refreshing to find Moon Taxi performing at the Masquerade that night. Their lyrics, sound and passion were evident from the beginning and it was invigorating to discover a band that wasn’t trying too hard to live up to a certain appearance. They weren’t trying to be anything except simple musicians putting on a powerful and authentic show.

 

"All the Rage"