Two things to straight off the bat
1- the reason that I have a t-shirt is that I didn't see the band at all
2- the length of this bands name is absurd
Now on to the good stuff. The Space, Hamden Connecticut's little gem of a venue was at capacity. We were lucky to get in at all. The great thing though is although it was a sell out there was elbow room. Just no site line for with in a flat basement with a 2 foot high stage. So I didn't see but I did hear TWISBPAIANLATD. How about we just call them The World going forward.?
With a heavy Moog like synthy swirl of intro I couldn't help but be concerned that I was in hipster paradise. I wont lie it was a hippy trippy swirl of loop that grated on my last nerve. The sustained pitch that would make dogs drop dead. Just when I thought I was going to bail out- out of the crowd came a wounded growl of teenaged angst. What the HELL was that?
So that's how these guys work it. A soft calm intro that shakes you out of your lull and beckons you to join them on a musical roller coaster from white boy rap to punk rock screaming to a acid trip frip. Their sound almost as awkward as their band name. They didn't announce the tunes but when they sang- this crowd sang along. Like a chorus of united and fight types, only I'm not so sure what they were fighting about.
About 10 minute into their set they requested paper towels and maybe some ice. "We have blood..down here, blood. Yeah lots of…" the room went silent the staff scurried and from what I gather someone got hit in the head with a bass. This could be totally wrong but I saw the dude come out and he had a nice tie dye blood T-shirt on- and he looked like Jesus. Odd, for all I know he's in the band or Russell Brands brother …or Jesus. But as soon as he sat the band started up again. But they had lost their choral accompaniment. Jesus harshed the vibe with his bloodletting. Darn it, I was just starting to dig it.
Their last two songs sort of happened without incident- with all sincerity if there wasn't an injury I believe I would be raving. The music was intoxicating and unique. Very unique. A hyper blend of everything you love and hate about rock and roll, but somehow for those brief moments it worked.
I hope they come around again. I'll grab some recorded material and give it a go but I doubt it will be that charismatic. There was something in that room that made it magical, and it wasn't Jesus.