Saturday night’s perfect, crisp fall weather was just an added bonus for an evening out seeing live music at the Mohawk, where three solid acts performed on the indoor stage. I arrived just as Hundred Visions were kicking of their set of blistering garage rock. I had seen the band once before, at a New Year’s Eve party at Cheer Up Charlie’s, during which people climbed the rafters and crowd surfed dangerously close to the ceiling. Although the antics at Mohawk didn’t quite reach these levels, Hundred Visions did bring the rock. Perhaps the onset of the cool weather mellowed fans, but concertgoers still toe-tapped through and erupted into genuine, enthusiastic applause at the end of songs.
The Zoltars performed in the middle slot on the bill, moving quickly through a repertoire of brief, simplistic pop songs. Influences such as Beat Happening and Jonathan Richman can be observed in The Zoltars quirky, lo-fi pop, a quality that lovers of these bands, like me, can appreciate. Lead singer Jared Zoltar emphatically complimented Hundred Visions and expressed exuberance for playing a gig at Mohawk. While the band’s brand of indie-pop won’t resonate with all people, their earnestness and focus are rare and commendable traits.
Though attendance was less than I expected for a band the caliber of Crystal Antlers, the room did become more full as the band took the stage around midnight. The group’s new album Nothing is Real dropped this week and provided fans with a new set of powerful rock songs. Live, the four-piece possessed incredible energy with bassist and lead singer Jonny Bell commanding the attention of the crowd by screaming out vocals from behind a veil of long, tangled hair.
Drummer Kevin Stuart shed his shirt and muscled through explosive beats while still managing to provide nuance and subtlety in quieter moments of songs. The band’s organist, who appears not to be an official full-time member of the band provided the most unexpected element for me, as the organ was mixed a bit louder than on the album. I found the change to be a welcomed one as it buoyed the distorted rock without detracting from it. Nothing is Real certainly marks a success for the band, but a more prominent organ might be a direction to consider. Crystal Antlers are on tour through October and half of November across North America. See full dates and info here. Check out some photos from the show below.
All photos © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
