Twenty One Pilots, MBANZA and Dean Tartaglia / January 12, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Sunshine and cats: that seemed to be the theme at The Union Thursday when Westerville, Ohio’s Twenty One Pilots rolled in to play a free show for a packed house of patrons who seemed happy to be out of the snow.

Opening bands included MBANZA and Dean Tartaglia from Mind Fish, both from Athens.

Tartaglia started the show with only him, his guitar, and a backup electronic drummer. Now, I’ve never listened to Mind Fish until I started writing this review, so I’m not exactly sure if he played any of their songs. But, he played a good amount of stuff that the crowd could easily grasp: a more pop-punk-like set that compares to Weezer, or even a stripped-down Fall Out Boy. The major mindfuck of his set came when he sang a song about his cat, using meow more than most lyrics.

The 8-piece MBANZA came next, donned in face paint and feathers to make themselves look like members of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. Their Folk/Roots set was pretty great, though the younger crowd could only get into it had they had a few drinks in them. The more interesting part of their set came from a vocalist/percussionist who did some sort of a melodic yelling, like the guy singing at the beginning of The Lion King, but with no words. Their covers of “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead and “You Are My Sunshine” were interesting, as well as great.

Last onstage, much to the crowd’s pleasure, was Twenty One Pilots. It’s hard to give these guys a particular style, but I can say they sounded like a more electronic version of Flobots, but with the stage presence and energy of--dare I say it--Hollywood Undead; the rap skills of pretty much any great artist in the game; and a light show comparable to that of Innerpartysystem. By all that, the crowd was wowed. The raw energy coming out of the two members was incredible.

Most of the music played from a laptop controlled by drummer Josh Dun, but Tyler Joseph smoothly transitioned between singing/piano, keyboards, and rapping. The crowd was intense, with constant jumping and alcohol-spilling, though no one seemed to care. Their cover medley included “Steal My Sunshine” by LEN and “It’s Gonna Be Me” by 'N Sync, and everyone ate it up.

A band could be a crowd-pleaser, but not play well musically. But overall, the unsigned Pilots could soon be a force to be reckoned with in the alternative music world.

Hyrrokkin, Sport Fishing USA and Sign Off / January 5, 2012 / The Smiling Skull

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

A good crowd packed into the stuffy Smiling Skull Thursday night for a rock show of interesting styles. Out to play were Hyrrokkin from Yellow Springs, Sport Fishing USA from Yellow Springs, and Sign Off from Athens.

Sign Off started the night with a noisy experimental post-punk set, with songs that changed from a classic heavy punk sound to an experimental/electronic sounding noise rock in less than a few seconds.

Not bad for a band that only consists of a bassist and a drummer.

Next was Sport Fishing USA, a band that takes classic rock, shoves it into modern indie, and takes near-pop vocals and lyrics of young adult/teen angst and shoves them into the indie. It's like a a "turducken" (Chicken stuffed into a duck that is stuffed into a turkey and cooked) for the ears.

Some things that stood out about their sound was that brothers Nathan and Brendan Moore harmonized fantastically on practically every song played. Nathan was also able to break down into guitar solos and interludes that sounded somewhat prog-rock and experimental while the rest of the band kept the crowd moving.

Last out was Hyrrokkin, an avant-garde/experimental trio for which one could go absolutely ballistic. Everything seemed to be completely in-place, but so scattered and crazy when it came to how it was structured. No song sounded similar, with some songs sounding as metal as the background music of a Sylvester Stallone movie, or as soft as those of an ambient group. But normally the soft parts were only intros/outros to even more heavy instrumental insanity. What was thoroughly impressive was that the bass part easily kept up with the guitar riffs, even sometimes matching the pattern altogether.

ACRN's Pre-New Year's Bash: bustedBASS, Brothertiger, DJ Sweet Dee / November 14, 2011 / The Union

By: Cassie Whitt, Blogs Editor

This whole DJ/dance scene: not my thing. I'm not even sure to whom's set I walked in when I arrived around 10 p.m. with friends who had just left their "History of Rock" class, though all indicators point to its having been bustedBASS.

The ACRN crew nestled close in the back of The Union, perched upon its newly-added stools around tall tables as a crew of people who are into the DJ-and-dance scene flooded the lit-up floor...with props. They traded off, each--in turn--wielding a light-up hula-hoop and this strange stick-on-a-string rave contraption that looked as if it were floating as they spun it around their gesticulating selves.

But, for me, the dancing was not the point. Pre-New Year's, the long-standing ACRN tradition of celebrating New Year's early because we will all be separated (often far from this university) on the actual event, was and will continue to be about the friendships this organization builds.

Later in the night as Brothertiger played, it became about being comfortable enough with those people to lose inhibitions (even if slightly aided by various liquors.)

Brothertiger's set had the majority of the crowd standing within ten feet of a stage, moving in a strange closed-eyed cluster of in-unison sways and sighs at the electronic, blissful music.

Okay, maybe for a moment I did get it, the whole "music's got me feeling so free/we're gonna celebrate" thing...

But I'm never dancing again, just saying.

Following Brothertiger, there was a mass-exodus of sleepy, sweaty people into the storm outside and a few of us remained for DJ Sweet Dee, which was an excellent choice; as, he played a delicious mix of darkwave that I enjoyed and understood more than the music of the previous acts.

A few remained on the dance floor, but most sat back and observed.

I ended the night flanked by two of my friends singing The Cure's "Love Song."

So, it all closed with my being back within my element, sadly without confetti in my hair (The Union forbade our usual confetti-tossing tradition) and with a walk in the rain on an oddly-warm November night to look forward to.

Not bad, Pre-New Year's 2011/2012.

Thomas Comerford, Dave Buker and the Historians, Emily and the Complexes / November 11, 2011 / Casa

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Though the night air was chilly, that didn’t stop many people from hitting up Casa Nueva for a folk night that consisted of Thomas Comerford, Dave Buker and the Historians, & Emily and the Complexes.

The crowd was noticeably small, though, making it hard to distinguish between concert-goers and bar attendees.

The first act, Columbus’ Emily and the Complexes, the solo project of Tyler Verhagen, warmed up the crowd with his plugged-in folk-punk style. Standing alone, he won over many with his soft, yet occasionally throaty voice. Playing many of his originals, like “Emily, You’re Right” and “If I Had Money," as well as covering Alkaline Trio’s “Fuck You, Aurora." Tyler was able to let the emotion in his voice and lyrics radiate through the crowd.

The next act, Columbus’s Dave Buker and the Historians, were one of the more interesting acts of the night. Their electro-folk sound could’ve gone easily unnoticed, possibly because a lack of their full band. The vocals of Buker and Paul Valdiviez went well together, but when it came to a bar setting, it lacked relevance.

The last act, Chicago’s Thomas Comerford, ended the night with his blend of folk instrumentals, a southern-inspired voice without the twang, and echoing vocals. His ability to keep the mood somber but still feeling good was riveting.

Unfortunately, by the time he started to play, much of the previous crowd had left. With softer songs, as well as epic rock songs, Comerford blended in well with the bar style and with those attending.

The Ridges / October 28, 2011 / The Ridges

By: Kevin Rutherford, Editorial Director
Photos By: Chris Dobstaff, News Editor

OK, let me get this out of the way, first...

YO DAWG, WE HEARD YOU LIKE THE RIDGES SO WE PUT THE RIDGES INSIDE YOUR RIDGES SO YOU CAN RIDGES WHILE YOU RIDGES.

Ahem.

For the second year in a row, rising Ohio stars The Ridges played an intimate show at The Ridges, the former insane asylum which ominously overlooks Ohio University, on the Friday of Halloween weekend.

Attendees were encouraged to don Halloween costume with the promise of a costume contest after the band's set. Picture quite a few delightful outfits, including a human trophy complete with his own platform on which to stand.

But the real stars of the show were The Ridges (the band), as is customary with pretty much any show the current and former OU students play. Since their inception, the band has taken the Athens music scene by storm, and thensome: most recently with fellow Ohio indie rock breaking artists Indigo Wild.

The Ridges took their name from the former asylum, and recorded their debut eponymous EP in its hallowed halls as well. The album was spooky, old-timey and--best of all--inherently Athens-esque, three adjectives that describe the asylum, too.

So, a return to the place where one might be able to say it all began (or, a place that the band seems to owe much to, as they may have not been the same band without it) is always enticing. It's like if a band wrote an entire album about Athens (and Appalachia, as an extension) and then returned to the city to perform said record. See: Southeast Engine.

"We're The Ridges. We're at The Ridges.... beer is involved," announced Ridges frontman Victor Rasgaitis at the beginning of their set. He announced that from within a room of the asylum that juts out from the others, a larger room that probably didn't actually house any patients, but certainly saw quite a few in its time. Rasgaitis, who has a boyish exuberance when it comes to his band, and who is almost chronically smiling, was flanked by the rest of the official members of the band--cellist Talor Smith and percussionist Johnny Barton.

The band has auxiliary members who join them for every show, and included in this night's tally was another cellist, two violinists and an accordionist. Oh, and add in group vocals from just about every member of the band, as well as multiple members of the audience.

A Ridges show is certainly an inclusive affair. Even if it is one's first time seeing them live, as it was for a few in my group, one feels included and encouraged to sing along, no matter what. Whether the band is playing their own material or covers from folk artists such as Damien Rice and Sufjan Stevens, shows with The Ridges are both entertaining and enrapturing no matter one's familiarity with the music. That is something I think bands, especially on a more local level, should strive for, but having been in Athens for nearly four years now and thus having seen countless small-time acts, I feel confident saying that not many bands can do this like The Ridges.

What certainly helps is the band's likability. The music is not abrasive, and the personalities of the performers are warm, eager and welcoming. Plus, I've never met a person who told me that they dislike The Ridges. You don't get that often. Their appeal is infectious.

The Ridges rolled through 11 songs before the set's close. In addition to playing all songs off their debut EP (save for the brilliant "The Insomniac's Song," my personal favorite), staples such as "Jackson Pollock" and "Dawn of Night" also worked their way into inclusion, the latter an especially magnificent tune which will hopefully be included on a future release.

With an eagerness to play comes infectious energy. Rasgaitis was all over the place, sometimes even atop the chair on which Smith usually sat, singing to and directing the crowd in expansive sing-alongs. Barton is also entertaining to watch, even garnering a few raucous cheers from his xylophone solo. It may have been the first xylophone solo I've ever heard, I should add. Other members of the band are extremely calculating with the utmost precision, hitting each note with ease. Many of the members of the band are actually classically trained, and it shows.

Nervous laughs were heard halfway through the set, at which point Rasgaitis announced to the crowd that "our cars are being towed!" The accordion player promptly exited the room. Following his return, Rasgaitis announced again, "our cars will not be towed!" to much rejoicing.

After a fantastic cover of Damien Rice's "Volcano," the band ended their set with a cover of Sufjan Stevens' "Chicago." The cover had particular meaning, because of the band's recent trip to the city. Last weekend, The Ridges traveled to Chicago to record their first Daytrotter session. Say what you might about Daytrotter these days, especially given their recent announcement of charging folks for downloads of particular songs. Nonetheless, Daytrotter is important, a milestone achievement for a little band out of southern Ohio.

A lot of covers exist out there, but I can honestly say that The Ridges' "Chicago" cover is one of my favorites. Having seen their general excitement performing the song a few weeks ago prior to Daytrotter, and now seeing it live, it's clear that the band believes that this may be their biggest shot yet at breaking out of Ohio and into the public consciousness.

I don't like to say this often, and I may sacrifice my journalistic integrity doing so, but fuck it--I think they will. In fact, when it comes to local music, I may not have had as great a feeling as I do about The Ridges, with the aforementioned Indigo Wild coming a close second. This band of musicians---and note I said musicians, because they truly are, not just your average guys that can kiiiinda play guitar and bass and such--seem to have bigger and better press each month, thus far culminating with Daytrotter.

To say that is not saying that good things will come to the band, but that's what music journalism is sometimes all about. You make assumptions and declarations on bands you think will go big. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes not. Check out Rolling Stone and SPIN's past lists on the matter. Wiz Khalifa got huge, as was expected. Ferraby Lionheart? Not so much.

But we still make these declarations regardless. Sometimes because we just think we'll be right, and sometimes because we WANT to be right. In the case of The Ridges, it's both. Not only do I want this band to break it big, I really do think they will.

Only time will tell. Until then, if you haven't already, check them out. If you live in Ohio, see them when they come your way. When their Daytrotter session finally goes live in a month or two, download it. You won't regret it.

Tubax, Marbles for Eyes & Tribraco / October 7, 2011 / Donkey Coffee

By: Katie Pinter, Contributor

Last Friday night, Donkey Coffee had the sounds of Tubax, Marbles For Eyes and Tribraco fill its cozy corners.

Though there was a small crowd, Tubax kept the mood high with their combination of reeling electronic rills, steady beats and funky guitar tunes. Basically, Tubax sounds like what a literal arcade fire should be.

The band from Bologna, Italy announced in the middle of their set that they were on their first tour in the United States and were very excited, which was clearly shown through their enthusiastic performance of original songs like "Bigfoot." Altogether, Tubax was a breath of fresh air for the normally chill stage of Donkey and really set the tone for what was coming next.

Following the animated group was Marbles For Eyes, who delivered an indie rock set bursting with soft harmonies, nostalgic lyrics, and country-rock-infused guitar riffs. From the Cambridge, Ohio group was a great variety in songs that ranged from simple singer-songwriter croons to thumping, bluegrass-inspired numbers.

Marbles got the audience involved from the beginning when a member of the crowd got onstage to fix a guitarist's strap and later when spectators were encouraged to clap along to a number. In addition to their sophomore album's being released, lead singer Matthew Smith informed the group that Marbles will soon sell DVDs and, eventually, hoodies to help keep fans warm. With the audience's warmth in mind, another Marbles member suggested they start selling fireplaces too, an idea encouraged by the crowd.

Last but not least, Tribraco finished the show on a high note. Featuring music from their newest album, Glue, the group from Rome, Italy delivered high-energy rock songs (also referred to as "hot" numbers by the lead guitarist), along with a psychedelic, mellow vibe. The band described the inspiration for a variety of their songs: some came from "South American music and impressions," while others were based upon a dry and windy village in Italy or burlesque.

Tribraco became not only a musical experience, but also an educational one when they taught the crowd how to say an Italian phrase that is said to musicians when the audience wants more music. This term was used so much that the band played an additional three songs at the end of their set.

The show was something that could have only happened at Donkey, and I now will be expecting future shows to deliver the same level of enthusiasm, along with the occasional joke and foreign language lesson.

Mountain Stage / October 9, 2011 / Templeton-Blackburn Auditorium

By: Emily Votaw and Amanda Norris

Homesickness is one of the most clichéd, yet horrendously universal experiences of any young person who sets out on his or her own--and especially for college students.

But "home" is many things to many people.

Yet, the most palpable aspect of homesickness may be longing for all the stuff your family does, and for some youngsters, a key part of their parental identity is latched onto NPR and the soothing, boring sounds it so oft provides for aging hippie mothers and fathers.

Maybe the Mountain Stage performance at Templeton-Blackburn Auditorium on Sunday, October 9 was simply a set of local (ish) bands playing at a central part of campus. But I would like to argue that it was, indeed, a parent-palooza.

And not just any kind of parents gathered to see some good kind-of-old-fashioned alt-country Sunday night.

Oh no.

Intellectual sorts.

“Out the wazoo.”

I hope those parent-sorts enjoyed the incredibly short sets put on by the numerous acts. The night started out with a painfully folky, though incredibly endearing and very impressive set by Karen Casey & John Doyle. Kind of like when that folk show comes on after Garrison Keillor’s "A Prairie Home Companion;" when any sensible dad switches the radio off.

And that set set the tone for the night – very skilled players playing for not very long.

Local musical sweethearts Southeast Engine played exactly three tunes, all expertly pulled off, especially their heart-wrenching rendition of “Adeline of the Appalachian Mountains." Keyboardist Michael Lachman was donning his traditional super-spiffy suit – a shocking exclusion from the band’s last Athens gig at Casa Cantina. I found comfort in its return.

In fact, I suppose you could just say that Sunday was a comfortable night, saying that I was surrounded by people who could be my parents and surrounded by the reassuring-yet-incredibly liberal-leaning organization that permeates all NPR events.

Needless to say, I didn’t feel too homesick that night.

--Emily Votaw, Staff Writer
_________________


Continuing where our dear Emily Vowtaw left off...

Ha Ha Tonka stole the show-- According to The Post, that is. Somehow the band's photo made it above the fold, much like they somehow got everyone in Mem Aud to stand and clap along to their, to quote Arlo Guthrie with all the irony that entails, "four-part harmony, with feeling."

I'm not sure how it happened. Perhaps I am disconnected, but I could not help feeling like I was watching Hanson-gone-country, all dressed up to play the church social in the best flare jeans that money can buy. For the record, I don't mean that as a compliment.

Luckily The Jayhawks, who closed the night, put on an enjoyable set. Their country-blues-folk-infused jam was worthy of all the hyphens and the listen. Much like Hot Tuna, who played earlier in the night, they played stuff your parents would love and you would tolerate-- which is a-okay in my book.

To close the mountain stage, all of the performers gathered for a communal jam of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth." The track was excellently arranged, and of course my favorite soloist was Southeast Engine's keyboardist-- and, if only to echo Miss. Vowtaw's comment-- my, didn't he look snappy while doing it.

--Amanda Norris, Staff Writer