2010年 02月 4日 木曜日 01:29
Fri 29 Jan – Polysics at the Roxy
Since I drove roughly 1400 miles to see Polysics I should finally write a new review (I have about 6 shows I've seen without reviewing).
First off it was fun finally taking my new car on a road trip. My sister came along but spent most of the trip napping in the passenger seat. The drive was long but fun; driving around LA is a royal pain in the ass seems like people like to sit in the passing or commuter lane and go slower than the already slow moving traffic.
Anyway the show.
It's funny that for how different things seem they're really all the same. At the Roxy, the charge $5 for plastic cup half full of bud and call it a deal; I guess all places are rip offs. I thought it was a bit odd that there is a curtain sutting off the stage until a band is ready. I guess its good since it keeps ignorant fans from cheering when a roadie is tuning up a guitar.
There was also reserved seating which I think was more for the late night club crowd that aren't there for the show, they just always hang out at at the club.
I didn't catch the first band's name, Little red riding hood I think?
Too bad because they had great energy, whole group was onfire regardless of how much the crowd was into it. They eventually got the crowd to at least react which is impressive for a first band of the night.
The platinum blonde was hot and sexy, although she was a bit over the top at times. Running your hand over your body = sexy; flat out rubbing your pussy with your hands and the mic is too much. Save that part for the guy's imagination.
The lead guy had good energy as well and they made a good compliment to the music, although his outfit seemed a bit gay (maybe he is or maybe it's just a really "artistic" outfit.
They really had a good sound that goes down well with what's popular in music now. It was independent but not in a boring crybaby emo Iron and Wine sort of way. It was very aggressive and upbeat without being top 40 pop music.
I definitely wish they had been more clear saying their name so I could find them online.
The sound guy for the Roxy is perfect, with ear plugs in the music was just the right volume and just the right balance. After years of suffering through the local SLC sound guys this guys seemed like a master of the craft. Kudos.
2nd band was New Kingdom; first thing I noticed about them was everybody had the same big hair. But once the music started I was pleasantly surprised again. They also had an "indie" sound that is very similar to popular non-mainstream music right now.
The best way I could describe them was like a chilled out more indie sounding band heavily influenced by Jameroquai.
After two great bands like this I was starting to feel bad for how sad the local music groups in Utah were. We have a few good bands of kids who are used to playing in their parents garages but nothing really worthy of grabbing out of the area and pushing for nationwide release, and here were two relatively small bands that seriously need to be "discovered". All I could do was think back to that crummy local band Vile Blue Shades. Kids in LA are spoiled by too much good talent.
But not all was lost, the third band, Sabrosa Purr, sucked. Indie music treads a fine line between genius and madness, you're either one of the other. Except in this case madness isn't like some cool intensity, it's just shitty ear grating music. It was just slow and moody and it's hard to tell if they were actually playing music or each in some drug induced trance making noise that sounded like music to them.
Fuck this emo shit.
I don't mean to dwell on the negative and I know some people really like this stuff (the same people that think Pitchfork Media is the gods of reviewing good music). I'm sorry but if you like this you've been brainwashed by the shitty indie overlords who want to destroy music. 20 years from now your kids will ask you why you liked a band that faked its talent by playing really slow AC/DC chords and screaming 14 year old poetry into the mic and you'll have no response other than you were just trying to fit in (It's so ironic that people try to dislike the popular so much that they'll let people convince them this is good music.) Screw this pretentious bullshit.
–Re reading this I realized that everybody drumming at the finale was nice but not revolutionary enough to make up for the crap music. Oh, and the chick playing was kind of hot.
Polysics were Polysics; amazing in just about everyway. Many bands seems so cool when you watch a music video, or look like their shows are amazing; then you see an actual show and it's utter crap. Polysics are just as energetic and out of control on stage as they are in music videos; maybe more so, in the music videos it's a bunch of cut scenes with makeup and cool down time in between, live it's just a marathon of music and energy, it wasn't 2 songs in before Hiro was already covered in sweat from bouncing all over the place belting out lines and guitar riffs.
While I was watching I realized that the band has an almost perfect setup for the music they're doing. Masashi in the back, relatively emotionless as the drummer anchor. The two girls to either side doing mostly backup vocals, Fumi is a bit more energetic but Kayo with her robot impersonation. And Hiro trapped between them and the audience bouncing around all over the place. The setup is great, it's not like just a band crammed up on stage, you could setup a camera and every performance would look like it was setup to be a music video.
Only Hiro attempted any English and it was limited at best, considering all Japanese go though a couple years of english I'm sure they have a bit more understanding then they let on but it was still fun watching them try to break down the language barrier. God know how tough it is, I learned myself from the time I spent in Japan trying not to sound like a fool.
Anyway, well worth the time and gas to head down to see the show. If you have a chance to see them make sure you take it. And that's not counting the 4-6 hours or so that we had to be tourists the next day before we headed back home. 24 hours driving, 4 hour show, 6 hours car camping, all in about 42 hours. Not bad at all.
CDs Bought:
http://image.kazaa.com/images/88/602527226088/Polysics/Absolute_Polysics/Polysics-Absolute_Polysics_2.jpg
Absolute Polysics
http://www.zmemusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/200px-polysics_-_we_ate_the_machine.jpg
We Ate the Machine
http://www.bodyspace.net/imgs/capas/polysics_-_now_is_the_time.jpg
Now Is the Time!
