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Trans Am / Minus the Bear / Tussle / Replicator Great American Music Hall February 26, 2003 Review by Jake Thomas Four bands. That's about two too many bands on a bill as far as I'm concerned. Even though all of the bands are great, that's just a lot of standing around in the same spot. And even if you're one of those crazy dancer kids, it's still going to wear you out. I got there before the whole thing started so that I could throw some support the way of Replicator, some local lads who make some bruising music. This was probably the best I've seen them play, which is a good thing given the stature of getting to play at the Great American with Trans Am. Chris was a machine on the drums, pounding them relentlessly and losing a number of drumsticks in the process. They came across sounding like the bastard stepchild of Gang of Four, Wire, and Big Black, and had a handful of kids in the front flailing around like their ass was on fire. By the end of their set, the place was getting pretty full and people seemed to be digging it, I know I was. Tussle was second. This was the only band on the bill that I hadn't seen before. They were comprised of four dudes: bass, keyboards and electronics, drums, and one guy playing this weird hybrid drum set that was part bottles and jugs and tin tubs and part regular drum kit. They sounded like a dub version of Tortoise to me; some parts were interesting and others were boring, but I liked them more than I didn't. I could also imagine seeing these guys in one of the scenes from '24 Hour Party People', playing at the Hacienda to a bunch of scenester/hipster/raver types. And if you ever needed proof that indie don't dance, this was it à some of the danciest music I've heard, and only a couple of people bobbing along to the music. On third was Minus the Bear. Although I like these guys, I didn't enjoy this show as much as their last one. They seemed out of place in this line up, but I get the feeling that might happen to them a lot; they seem to straddle a lot of different musical lines, music that might not be normally mixed together. If I had to put them in a specific genre, it would be tough - they play an eclectic sort of math-emo-pop. Lots of keyboards, one guitarist who almost never strums his guitar but rather does all kinds of 'hammer-ons' on the neck, in a very Van Halen 'Eruption' sort of way; the bands they make me think of the most are Jawbox when they are rocking straight forward, and Dismemberment Plan when they're feeling a little quirky. I enjoyed their show a few months back at Bottom of the Hill quite a bit; I think a big part of enjoying their music is just being in the right mood for it, and unfortunately, the bands that I heard before them kinda threw me off of that track. Trans Am was the big finale. I've seen these guys a zillion times it seems like, back in North Carolina where I lived they played all of the time. I haven't seen them in a while (I think the last time was at Bottom of the Hill a couple of years ago with Neil Hamburger and Laddio Bolacko, a really great show); I've not been crazy about their output over the last few years, but their first three releases are the proverbial 'shit'. That said, they're always great live no matter what material they're playing (obviously, I dig it when they play the older stuff more, but still enjoy the new stuff in the live setting). Their drummer, aside from looking almost identical to one of my good friends, is easily one of the best drummers I have ever seen, and I think this to myself each and every time I see them. Another great thing about the band? The bassist's propensity for wearing sleeveless shirts; out of all the times I've seen them, I can't ever remember seeing him without a sleeveless shirt. I don't why I like this, it just tickles me for some reason. On to the music though à I only got to see about six songs before I had to take off to go to Thee Parkside to see Crooked Fingers, but I was really digging it. It just so happens that I don't miss Crooked Fingers for any reason, in an ideal universe both of these bands wouldn't be playing on the same night. But better to have too much rock to choose from rather than not enough, right? As I walked out the door, I realized just how loud the show was when I took my earplugs out and my ears were ringing anyway; and I could still hear them when I got to the end of the block. --- Check out some of our previous experiences: Trans Am photos Great American Music Hall, June 3, 2002 Minus the Bear review Bottom of the Hill, October 13, 2002 Tussle photos Great American Music Hall, August 10, 2002 Replicator review Edinburgh Castle, January 3, 2003 review Bottom of the Hill, May 30, 2001 ©2003 playinginfog.com |