Tuesday marked a crosstown musical showdown: the craziness of Monotonix at The Casbah vs. Chairlift's light whimsy lyricals at UCSD's The Loft.
(by Nate)
A good friend of mine called me after a
Monotonix show in Chicago claiming he had just seen the ‘best show ever.’ That night he packed up his truck and followed them around the Midwest for the next three shows. Any rock band that can inspire instant “groupie” status from a 33 year old white-collar male is a band I need to check out. Turns out he's not the only one raving, Spin magazine calls them "The most exciting live band in America."
My stoke meter flew off the charts when I learned they were playing the Casbah on my birthday.
Is there a better way to celebrate getting older than acting like a 21 year old again? I think not. “Maturity is overrated!” I yelled at dinner before the show. Monotonix agrees. These guys are older than I am – bald spots sneaking out under their huge mops.
They lived up to their reputation. I’ve seen many bands 'finish' their show by jumping into the crowd. Monotonix flips the script…They started in the crowd…and then they played on
top of the crowd, on top of the sound booth, on top of the bar
on top of the merch table…and then they concluded on the stage. Sure we've all seen lead singers move around the room. This wasn’t just the singer. The whole band, including the drum kit, never stopped moving. There was no escaping the band. Sooner or later they were going to run you over.
Naysayers may complain their sound is rawer than raw, vocals incoherent screams, melodies lost in feedback…I say they still wail. If you can’t have fun watching a crazy, 40 year old, hairy, half-naked Israeli dude playing drums on top of the bar, then you may be too Mature for Monotonix.
(by Crystal)
So I’m not a lesbian or anything, but there’s just something so damn enchanting (and weirdly hot) about
Chairlift singer Caroline Polachek. Who knew dreamy surrealism could be paired with 80’s synth pop? Polachek’s airy high-register explorations inspire fantasies about Chairlift tunes being played throughout a modern day Alice in Wonderland.
And what a way to see a show when you get it in the intimacy of UCSD’s modern eco-chic lounge
The Loft designed by
Bells and Whistles. I wish this place existed when I went to school there!
The small crowd started off a bit uneasy (befuddled by the opening act of John Maus’ experimental singing(?) performance and an earlier fire alarm stint). Luckily, Polachek instructed us “scoot up” and “get close”.
Chairlift proved to be evocative; their sounds inspired images of forests, making out, deer, French films, leprechauns, an old creepy church, skipping, velvet, jazz, shadows, streams, Asia, westerns, empty grass fields and floating. We were cast in a music spell, and at the end left joyously mesmerized.
So leave it to b-day boy Nate to kick it with the balding half-naked Israelis, but we all know who got some real eye candy with music’s next big thing.
synther, singer, tambourinist= Caroline Polachek