Concert Review: Out Of Autumn, Ritual, Living Room
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The Pompadour is becoming infamous for its eclectic bookings of local shows and this was no exception. Out Of Autumn, an ethereal, Mission-ish band was teamed with pop-industrial Ritual and techno Living Room. Showcasing bands with dissimilar musical styles isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. It gives the audience a chance to experience bands that they might not give a listen to otherwise, and might enjoy in spite of themselves.
Out Of Autumn, formerly Doola Chime, formerly After The Rain has a new lineup, replacing acoustic guitarist. Many of the songs are the same though, but the male voice gives them a different feel. Guitar blends lush, as acoustic and two electric are layered over bass and drums. At times, the band seems divorced from the audience, rarely looking forward and often playing with their backs turned. Whether this is rock ‘n’ roll stance or sheer nervousness, the band alienates itself from its listeners, creating a wall over which they hurl their music.
Their set went smoothly except for the breaking of a guitar and the subsequent exit from the stage by guitarist and, eventually, other band members. Possibly due to this, their set was cut extremely short, the band playing a mere forty-five minutes, if that. Next time, I’d like to see a longer set.
Ritual plays their two-man pop/industrial/electronic music with precision and decisiveness, adding live playing by both Jones and Anderson over the sequenced portions of
their music. Techno bands take a lot of flack from many self-proclaimed critics stating techno performances are merely “recorded.” But they miss the creative and technical process of computer generated music, which is akin to the complicated process of writing songs with “real” instruments. No matter what the medium, songs have to be worked out, written and played; the final outcome being the same—enjoyable music.
Anderson supplements the energy of his and Jones’ songs by performing with a vengeance. His on-stage thrashing and writhing is more violent than sexual and stresses the energy and the drive behind the music. Both Jones and Anderson play frantic keyboards when needed or add melodic strains to the harsher and underlying rhythms.
Playing in the same vein as Depeche Mode, only harder and less darkly, Ritual’s pop-industrial music is worth checking out.
Living Room, fronted by Tom “the vampire” Laird, is aptly named. The band has the cozy feeling of a gathering in your own home. Simple, compelling songs entice the listener into a state of comfortable ease, while filling The Pompadour with a relaxed atmosphere. It’s like being at home and gathering around the piano for a sing along or listening to music while sitting on the couch and having a glass of 7up.
The band seems to be growing as well with additional keyboards and recorder. What was once Laird’s solo project has become a group effort with a fuller sound and more warmth and familiarity than many techno bands.
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