The Secret Machines rock an LSD sound system in 3-D

November 18, 2008 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg
photo credit:
Elizabeth Payne

If there’s anything The Secret Machines learned while on tour with U2, it’s that 3-D is still very, very cool. Bono and company may have revived the ‘80s trend with a larger than life three-dimensional IMAX production, but last night in Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, the Secret Machines housed a similarly prismatic effect — in the flesh. 3-D glasses were passed out to concert-goers, just moments before the outer-space rockers took the stage. Even the most elite of hipsters couldn’t resist, donning the stellar geekwear with pride.

The effects of three dimensional visuals could be detected before the heavy rainbow strobes even began. Strips of white rubber latex draped like a three-sided canopy overtop the trio’s set, allowed every color to transmit from the light spectrum in its true and vibrant form like a real-life refracting prism. The Secret Machines are known best for their brooding krautrock performances, massive Floydian crescendo and most recently as pioneers of the social networking bandwagon. The psychedelic mavericks have taken their progressive nature a step further, finding themselves in rainbows, with a new guitar player in tow. Without necessarily encouraging experimental drug use, TSM share their discoveries of what’s behind those locked doors by providing fans with a set of kaleidoscope eyes. A photographer’s flash only enhanced the vivid trip.

Three songs into the set, the rose-colored glasses came off. “You’re Gone”, a haunting ballad from their latest self-titled release, demonstrated front man Brandon Curtis’ vocal maturation, as he pounded away at the keys. “The Walls Are Starting to Crack”, another new track spanning just over ten minutes, mesmerized the crowd with the hypnotic wails of Phil Karnats’ guitar. “Atomic Heels” the anticipated first single with an equally spellbinding video set to accompany, revitalized the still-for-a-moment energy with power-stomp drum and bass. The unreleased masterpiece “Dreaming of Dreaming” was a spiritualized flow of heavy-on-the-kickdrums, characteristic of drummer Josh Garza’s typical beat.

Much like the Oct. 18th Webster Hall gig that kicked off the current North American tour, the set list was heavy on their latest and oldest material. While the machines may have had a few screws loose during their own opener as Karnats struggled to keep his guitar in check, their overall performance remained electro-charged through the encore, “Nowhere Again” as they bade Brooklyn psychedelia farewell, finishing the tour in their own ‘hood.

Aside from the hit single “Lightning Blue Eyes”, and the melodrama of “Alone, Jealous, and Stoned” not much else was played from sophomore album, Ten Silver Drops. Also missing that night were fellow prog-rockers TK Webb, who opened for TSM the first leg of the tour. Joining the band in the ‘burg to wrap up the jaunt were TV on the Radio’s current project, Dragons of Zynth. Although DOZ were slightly DOA, the mood was elevated when the lead singer jumped into the pit of five or six bystanders, knocking a beer out of one lucky winner’s hand. The Bloc Party on Acid uber-hip quartet surely has a promising future as a TVOTR cover band, if all else fails.

The Decemberists Salute the President-Elect and Barack ‘n Roll in NYC

November 5, 2008, at Terminal 5

The post-election party continued at Terminal 5 in Manhattan’s Upper West Side Wednesday eve, when The Decemberists brought a life-size cardboard cutout of President-Elect Barack Obama onstage. Plenty of “Yes We Can”, followed by countless “Yes We Did” sums up the strong sentiment of the politically charged performance. The Decemberists may have jumped on the Obama victory bandwagon to enhance the energy of the show, but this was hardly a first for the progressive indie rockers. The band played at an Obama rally for the Senator and a crowd of nearly 75,000 on their own Portland soil in May of this past year.

Rifling through plenty of old material, namely 2003’s Her Majesty and 2005’s Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars), Colin Meloy and company paraded themselves as fantasmical storytellers, characteristic of their whimsical and quirky nature. “We Both Go Down Together” known as the tale of a drunken suicide, was played in an uber toned down flat acoustic, sounding more R.E.M. than Arcade Fire. The band’s classic showmanship suggests a post high school theater-nerd bond -- their dramatic sea chanteys and Irish jigs would under normal circumstance fare better with Broadway-goers and those who typically dabble in the arts. Regardless of whiny tones and nonsense lyrics, the Decemberists did far more than entertain the sold-out show, with Mr. Obama’s replica as their sixth bandmate.

“Ever see anyone play a guitar solo with a peacock feather?” Meloy asked, “well there’s a first time for everything, so stand back!” Keeping the feather mostly intact, Meloy shredded his guitar with feather during a tribute to Governor Sarah Palin,… you betcha! After dropping to the stage and playing dead, the feather found its way to the nuts of Nick Query’s bass neck, before assuming its final resting position behind Mr. Obama’s head for the remainder of the set. Pausing for a sip of red wine, Maloy learned that near everyone in the audience was celebrating their birthday that night, before borrowing a pink cell phone from another lucky patron to make a call while he delved into another tune. Comic relief and banter continued with accordion/keyboardist Jenny Conlee about the smell of a possible electrical fire. Perhaps it was all just a part of the act.

Masterpiece theatre continued with the new single, “Valerie Plame” a Beatles-y “Hey Jude” type ballad about the infamous C.I.A. undercover operative scandal. The track is set to release on their upcoming, Always a Bridesmaid (Capitol), a first time release for the band on a major label. Back and forth like ocean waves, a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Sticking With You” elated mood while the woeful tale “The Engine Driver” sank into somber aesthetic. “Ohhh, you like the abuse!” Meloy joked as he elevated the atmosphere once more with multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk—the two engaged in a behind-the-head guitar solo challenge. Meloy earned extra points for balancing his acoustic atop of his head.

“The Mariner’s Revenge” marked the sound-off to the encore, as the entire band marched side-by-side for the fictional number about living inside the belly of a whale. At the show’s finale, the crowd was urged to partake in the sing-along, “Sons and Daughters”. The masses joined together with the band, most swaying back and forth and linking arms. Over and over they sang in proud and patriotic declaration -- “Hear all the bombs fade away…”

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