Eastern District: Amber Lamps (we are looking for a myspace link!!!)
The first stop of the night was the art gallery/performance space Eastern District, where the experimental sound collage and folk act Amber Lamps was performing. As it turns out, Amber Lamps is not a reference to the wildly popular “Epic Beard Man” fight video circulating on the Internet (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, search for “Epic Beard Man” and “amber lamps.”) The performance consisted of one guy (later joined by a girl for dual vocals), creating sounds to the accompaniment of several tape players scattered about the darkened gallery. The ambient, droning soundscapes were transfixing, and the surround sound provided by the pre-recorded tapes added an all-encompassing sense of dimension to the performance. A folksy melody of acoustic guitar and male/female vocals broke out towards the end of the 15-minute act (it was essentially one long “song”, or a musical performance piece), turning the somber atmosphere of the sound collage into a cathartic release. I had also hoped to catch the roving banjo and snare drum duo Free Advice at Eastern District, but they apparently cancelled, so off I was to Bushwick Music Studios.
Bushwick Music Studios: Pearl and the Beard
Pearl and the Beard were totally captivating, and a highlight of the night. A trio (two girls and a guy with a beard, all bespectacled), they perform an energetic and instrumentally minimal brand of folk-pop. All three harmonize, creating haunting, pitch-perfect melodies. The crowd was fully absorbed by their set, and when they broke out their amazing and amusing “Will Smith Medley” (you can see a video on their myspace), everyone in the audience exchanged a delighted “WTF?” look and nodded along in approval. Keep on eye out for this band, they’re definitely going places.
The next act was the 18-piece indie-pop-ska band Eskalators, who definitely did not all fit on the stage at Bushwick Music Studio. Almost every instrument in the world was accounted for, from the obvious rock band instruments to flute, violin, glockenspiel, and a musical saw. The high-energy performance really got the crowd moving, especially when main vocalist Eric Williams pushed himself into the crowd and offered up the mic to anyone willing to sing along. The songs were infectious, short, and fun, and they prompted Tito (owner of Bushwick Music Studio) to play some Operation Ivy over the sound system after the set.
Aviation Orange
Aviation Orange were up next, and they held the audience captive with their synth-driven indie pop. The songs manage to merge ambient guitar and synth layers with danceable rhythms and hook-laden male/female vocals. Highlights included “Radio” and “Darling Johnny,” and they were as tight as a band can be, having just finished a small tour, SXSW, and a DIY fest show the night before at Brooklyn Fireproof.
My last act to catch was Binary Marketing Show, at Don Pedro. I only caught two songs, as I was exhausted and drunk and had work the next day (I’m there right now, typing this on my lunch break.) The band was engaging, playing tribal and textured noise-pop in the vein of Animal Collective. There were synth stabs, vocal loops, and primal percussion, and I got the impression this band would be exhilarating at a weekend loft-rager (the small crowd at Don P’s was sitting in chairs). After a quick dose of Binary Marketing Show I headed home and found that “Will Smith Medley” video, and got to thinking that those late 90’s/early 2000’s Will Smith singles were, in retrospect, really fun. -Bill Dvorak