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"
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