HPX Day#3: Thursday Oct 20th 2011 - DAN

Lost & Found/Reflections/Gus' Pub
HPX 2011

My Thursday night started at a tiny showcase at Lost & Found. Though one of the three bands canceled I caught Transfixed (with some special guests) and Catbag. The store only held about 20 people, but there was a full pile of amps, synths, drums, and an elaborate tinfoil backing.

Transfixed started off the show with loud, droning synths and dirty bass backed by simple drums. Their songs were droning and had a thick, electronic sound, with ethereal vocals. After the power went out during the 2nd song or so, the band returned to playing in total darkness, lit only by projections on the tinfoil.

Catbag took the “stage” (read: floor) next, with more dirty bass, electronic drum pads, and of course, the wailing, overblown sax mania of Dave Ewenson. Again the only light came from projections and the faded yellow glow of street lights leaking in the door, making for a tense and brooding atmosphere for the band’s psychedelic noise menagerie, ala early Can or Pink Floyd.

As the performance ended and the store transformed back into a vintage clothing shop, headed back into (day two of) the pouring rain and managed to squeeze in enough time to download photos and video before heading back downtown to the Seahorse.

When I arrived shortly after nine, New York’s Bugs in the Dark were just taking the stage. Opener’s Handcreme had been scheduled to play but apparently had some issues with IDs (what kind of band member comes to a festival to play at a bar and doesn’t bring ID?). None the less the band played a strong set to the audience members who had braved through the rain thus far. With just two guitars and drums, the band managed to invoke a variety of sounds and catchy riffs; with strong female vocals and raw rock inspired songs the band could have just as easily been from Halifax or Toronto, showcasing the universality of music scenes despite geographic distances.

Cold Warps took the stage next, delivering their trademark pop punk stylings and showing off their always on rhythm section. Equal parts indie nerd rock and garage punk, the band played a great set to a now quickly growing crowd.

Supposed openers Handcreme took the stage at 11, no doubt confusing a few showgoers who had arrive for headliners Jeff the Brotherhood in that time set. Despite being short a member they delivered a highly polished set with great drummer and dual female vocals, almost sounding at tines like a less spastic Marnie Stern.

After the quick makeup set, Jeff the Brotherhood took the stage to much applause and cheering. Consisting of two brothers from Tennessee, the band wasted no time in delivering the rock. The best part about the band, besides the music, were the slowly emerging double take moments. Like, “hey, they guitar only has three strings…” quickly followed by, “hey! That guitar is see through!” This was then topped with “middle of the crowd guitar solo” and then the inevitable singer/guitarist crowd surfing moment.

As with many HPX nights things only get more hectic from here. First a stop at the Seahorse to see Bonjay (check out Tiffany’s post for the whole show),

then a mad dash all the way up to Gus’s Pub to catch Unexpect. The band did indeed live up to their name – a plethora of members, wielding violins, guitars, and a nine string bass (!). With insane amounts of hair flying everywhere, broken G strings, and songs about evil pumpkins, was surely the most interesting show of HPX thus far.