<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Yonatan Gat – Pop Press International</title> <atom:link href="https://www.poppressinternational.com/tag/yonatan-gat/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com</link> <description>Music Blog, Music News, Tracks, Reviews, Live Music, Photos & More</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2015 23:32:20 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <item> <title>In the Studio with Must-see SXSW Artist Yonatan Gat</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2015/03/16/in-the-studio-with-must-see-sxsw-artist-yonatan-gat/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2015 23:32:20 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[BLOG]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FEATURES]]></category> <category><![CDATA[UPCOMING]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#sxsw]]></category> <category><![CDATA[must see]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SXSW 2015]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yonatan Gat]]></category> <category><![CDATA[You're Here]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=20147</guid> <description><![CDATA[If you could see only one band at SXSW, Yonatan Gat should be a strong candidate. You don’t have to take our word for it; the New York Times, Vice, and many others agree, even...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-4.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-20151" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-4-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_022815-4" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-4-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-4-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>If you could see only one band at SXSW, Yonatan Gat should be a strong candidate. You don’t have to take our word for it; the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/arts/music/review-yonatan-gat-shreds-protocol-in-a-rampant-concert.html?_r=0" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New York Times</span></a>, <a href="http://noisey.vice.com/blog/director-stream-yonatan-gat-interview" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Vice</span></a>, and many others agree, even if we were <a title="Yonatan Gat’s Incredible Cheer Up Charlie’s Show: Live Review" href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/09/24/yonatan-gats-incredible-cheer-up-charlies-show-live-review/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">saying so</span></a> several <a title="Yonatan Gat’s Transfixing Show at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern" href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/08/08/yonatan-gats-transfixing-show-at-seattles-sunset-tavern/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">months ago</span></a>. The point is that a consensus exists in the music loving world: Yonatan Gat is the real thing. The trio, consisting of two members from Israel (Yonatan Gat and Gal Lazer) and one from Brazil (Sergio Sayeg), foregoes venue stages and performs wild, improvisational sets on the floor, just a few a few inches from audience members–<a title="New Scenarios with Yonatan Gat at Hotel Vegas" href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/2015/02/03/new-scenarios-with-yonatan-gat-at-hotel-vegas/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">sometimes closer</span></a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-7.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-20154" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-7-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_022815-7" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-7-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-7-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>The day before the band released their new album, <em>Director</em>, they hosted an open studio event at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood. The space houses an art gallery and artists studios, and more recently added a small recording studio behind the main building. I arrived in the mid-afternoon and a docent pointed me toward a back door with a warning to watch my step on the ice. I made my way through the gallery and into a courtyard to discover an entirely frozen terrain. Slick ice dusted with snow layered the entire area. Above it stretched a huge red brick wall, vibrant and rich. Yonatan headed toward me from across the ice on his way to the restroom. He told me I’d caught the band on a break and directed me on toward the studio.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-20159" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_022815-12" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>I slid across the ice carefully and made my way up a spiral staircase and found Sergio and Gal hanging around the practice room. In the corner, one of Sergio’s friends sat reading a book. I caught up with the guys for a few minutes before Yonatan returned, passed around a few beers and the trio set to work recording again. They began with a disjointed, staggering groove. It built in volume and cohesion as the band moved around the room, changing positions; furniture was moved, and instruments were set down and picked up again. The other observer left the room at one point, and I realized that all these various noises become part of the mix. With Yonatan Gat, everything is just part of the fabric that will constitute the aural experience of a song. Improvisation isn’t a style of music, it’s a way of living.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-20160" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_022815-13" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>A long narrow window ran the length of the room above the mixing board and tape machine. Through it I watched the last light of the last day in February faded from cool and sharp to warm, soft, and glowing before almost disappearing completely–all set to a soundtrack supplied by Yonatan Gat. Like watching an experimental film with a live score.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-20149" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_022815-2" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Yonatan Gat will play eight shows at SXSW this week. Be at one of of them. We recommend “You’re Here!” taking place at the Ground Floor Theater at 979 Springdale in East Austin. We’re sponsoring the event, which gives festival goers an opportunity to enjoy great bands without some of the SXSW chaos (don’t worry, there’s still free beer). The band’s full listing of shows is below.</p> <ul> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 19th – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/concerts/23226528-thee-oh-sees-at-street-legal-guitars?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">Street Legal Guitars</a></div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 19th – You’re Here! at Ground Control Theater – 979 Springdale</div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 19th – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/concerts/23226578-surfer-blood-at-405-club?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">405 Club</a></div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 20th – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/concerts/22911873-yonatan-gat-at-hotel-vegas?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">Hotel Vegas</a></div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 20th – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/concerts/23107168-reptar-at-pizza-loft?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">The Pizza Loft</a></div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 20th – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/concerts/23226583-yonatan-gat-at-cheers-shot-bar?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">Cheer’s Shot Bar</a></div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 21st – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/concerts/23226588-yonatan-gat-at-grackle?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">The Grackle</a></div> </li> <li class="peekaboo-list-extra"> <div class="showDate secondaryText">March 21st – <a href="http://www.songkick.com/festivals/1251698/id/23086733-birddog-promo--paper-garden-records-unofficial-sxsw-slammer-2015?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner" target="_blank">Wonderland</a></div> </li> </ul> <p><a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-1.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-1-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-3.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-3-120x120.jpg 120w, 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width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-5-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-5-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-5-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-5-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-6.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-6-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-6-150x150.jpg 150w, 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width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-12-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Yonatan_Gat_022815-13-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>New Scenarios with Yonatan Gat at Hotel Vegas</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2015/02/03/new-scenarios-with-yonatan-gat-at-hotel-vegas/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2015 22:30:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[BLOG]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FEATURES]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LIVE MUSIC]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#awesome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Big Bill]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hotel Vegas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[improvisation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Monotonix]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Punk]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Harms]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yonatan Gat]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=19700</guid> <description><![CDATA[After being converted by the gospel of Yonatan Gat last summer, I’ve been telling everyone I know that they’re the best band touring. There might be some caveats for bands with huge, entertaining...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-19712" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_013115-2" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>After being converted by the gospel of Yonatan Gat last summer, I’ve been telling everyone I know that they’re the best band touring. There might be some caveats for bands with huge, entertaining stage shows like The Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire, but on an equal playing field, Yonatan Gat takes the prize without a doubt. Incorporating Middle Eastern melodies and riffs along with African rhythms, this trio blends traditional sounds with the distortion and fury of garage and punk. The resulting music wins fans of all varieties with each new performance. The group’s show at Hotel Vegas provided yet another amazing show, replete with unexpected and exciting developments.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-16.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-19726" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-16-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_013115-16" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-16-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-16-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-16-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Guitarist Yonatan Gat and his musical cohorts, drummer Gal Lazer and bassist Sergio Sayeg, didn’t finish setting up until almost 12:20, and one last band set to follow them still had yet to perform. The group sets up on the floor, forsaking the stage and immediately breaking down conceptions about live music formats and audience behavior. Three standard incandescent work lights, bare bulbs with chrome shades, sit on the floor and spotlight each of the members. These illuminate or go dark, determined by which members are playing or soloing, manned by the members themselves. As onlookers surround and engulf the trio, the energy builds intensely before first note is even played. I recognize some faces from the last time the band played in town, and it’s clear that the legends of their epic show have spread.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-10.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-19720" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-10-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_013115-10" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-10-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-10-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-10-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>All three members begin emitting sound; everything is loose and disjointed like fingers searching the dark for some mystery item waiting to be grasped. The bass finds the drum beat. The guitar begins to follow along. But drummer Gal Lazer doesn’t play it safe as the drums change and evolve, feeding the mix with ever-increasing energy, building to a frenzied chaos. Someone behind Lazer pumps his fist and holds up a middle finger in punk rock reverence. The guy shakes his beer and sends it spraying all over the band and the crowd. Some jostling ensues, and then in a split second, without me being able to tell exactly how, the punk rock beer sprayer is sailing into Lazer and his drum set, sending both bodies, beer cans, and all the drum parts sprawling across the concrete floor of Hotel Vegas. Lazer jumps up and then lunges onto the guy still laid out on the floor. The crowd separates them and sends the guy out of the venue as Lazer angrily staggers into the encircling onlookers and then begins to set his kit back up. Gat and Sayeg don’t miss a beat; the guitar and bass play on.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-8.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-19718" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-8-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_013115-8" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-8-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-8-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-8-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>With drums (more or less) reassembled, Lazer pounds them with a new and unhinged fury. Splashes of beer glint in the warm incandescent light. Cymbal and their stands teeter as Lazer pummels them relentlessly. The show ends with Lazer reaching back into the crowd while drumming with one hand, grabbing Jessica Alexander (drummer for opening band The Harms), and pulling her into his lap. He drums over her as she laughs and cheers. This is what Yonatan Gat is all about. Even when an instrument gets dismantled completely mid-set, it becomes part of the performance. This new energy fuels the show, makes it exciting, fresh, and distinct. Improvisation is the beating heart of Yonatan Gat, and Saturday’s show had them improvising in the extreme. What band puts themselves in a position where this sort of thing can occur? Yonatan Gat’s music and their show puts them out on the proverbial limb, and if ever it breaks, they surely shimmy up again to find another branch.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-15.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-19725" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-15-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_013115-15" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-15-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-15-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-15-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>I track down Gal after the set. He’s sitting on a wooden picnic table top, his feet up on the bench, hands clasped in front of his mouth, staring straight ahead. I cautiously approach him, but he immediately breaks out in a grin, and I know he’s not quite in the “fuck the world” mood I feared. I put my arm around him and shake him vigorously. “That was fucking great!” I tell him. He laughs, and says, “I’m glad you thought so.” I ask if he spent the whole show frustrated. “Just pissed,” he says. I tell him that it actually fed the set and made it truly incredible. Yonatan walks up and joins the conversation as we discuss the relationship between improvisation and unexpected events such as tonight. “Yeah,” Yonatan says cooly, “we had some new scenarios tonight.” For him, this is all just part of exploring new terrain. Making it up as he goes along. Keep moving, and see what happens. The band will be back for SXSW, and you’d be silly to miss them.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-19704" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-150x150.jpg" alt="Big_Bill_013115-1" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>After Yonatan Gat, Big Bill launched directly into their weirdo, garage pop songs. Charismatic frontman Eric Braden drives the live show’s vibe as he stalks about the stage dishing out oddball rhymes in his nasally growl. Bassist Jennifer Monsees and guitarist Cody Braden chant background lines over Alan Lauer’s drums. The band is like a fresh take on a blend of tendencies seen in music from the B-52’s, Beat Happening, and DEVO. They’re like a garage rock Talking Heads. With increasing amounts of positive praise and a new EP streaming now, Big Bill is the city’s most talked about band for good reason.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-19707" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-150x150.jpg" alt="The_Harms_013115-1" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Earlier in the night, all female three-piece The Harms kicked out a set of rockin’ garage tunes. Chase Frank leads the group on guitar as Jessica Alexander provides uptempo rhythms and Jennifer Monsees, who pulled double duty for the night playing in Big Bill, handles bass responsibilities. The songs are lean and direct but offer enough in the way of melodies and guitar hooks to give them texture. Check out photos from the night below.</p> <p>All photographs © Bryan C. Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open set in slideshow viewer.</p> <p><a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-1.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-1-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-3.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-3-150x150.jpg 150w, 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href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-5.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-5-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-5-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-5-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-5-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-6.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-6-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-6-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-6-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-6-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-7.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-7-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Yonatan_Gat_013115-7-120x120.jpg 120w, 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srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The_Harms_013115-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-3.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-3-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-3-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-2.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Big_Bill_013115-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Yonatan Gat’s Incredible Cheer Up Charlie’s Show: Live Review</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/09/24/yonatan-gats-incredible-cheer-up-charlies-show-live-review/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:27:07 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[BLOG]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FEATURES]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LIVE MUSIC]]></category> <category><![CDATA[amazing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[improvisation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Live Music]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yonatan Gat]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=17458</guid> <description><![CDATA[Watching Yonatan Gat and his band perform will blow your mind. The former Monotonix member’s live show leans heavily on improvisation and borders on performance art, incorporating signature lighting and expelling an incredible...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-12.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-17470" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-12-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_091814-12" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-12-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-12-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-12-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Watching Yonatan Gat and his band perform will blow your mind. The former Monotonix member’s live show leans heavily on improvisation and borders on performance art, incorporating signature lighting and expelling an incredible barrage of sound. However, one of the most enjoyable parts of a Yonatan Gat show, <a title="Yonatan Gat’s Transfixing Show at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern" href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/08/08/yonatan-gats-transfixing-show-at-seattles-sunset-tavern/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">especially if you’ve seen the band before</span></a>, is watching the new listeners, the unsuspecting folks who happen to be at the bar on a mid-week night, as the show unfolds.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-4.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-17462" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-4-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_091814-4" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-4-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-4-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Always refusing to set up onstage, instead opting for pitching their gear right in the middle of club floors, Yonatan Gat’s set challenges the crowd from the onset with its immediacy. Before beginning, percussive instruments–wood block, shakers, and the like–are handed out to the crowd, who begin clicking along as the band starts up. Gat and his two cohorts stand mere inches from concertgoers as they rip into their set with cacophonous percussion and upbeat guitar lines that embraces dark surf pop and garage rick while delving into an occasional klezmer-informed melody. These grooves are deep, and the audience finds themselves utterly last in them.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-9.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-17467" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-9-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat_091814-9" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-9-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-9-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-9-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>One guy in the front row stands with his hand on his jaw, staring, transfixed. Another rolls his head around his shoulders in synchronicity to the jolts of the song, occasionally rocking forward suddenly to accompany sudden musical shifts; with a shocked expression, his eyes look like they might burst from their sockets. Yonatan Gat is currently performing on the most incredible sets in small to medium venues. Excepting large budget, major label touring acts like Nick Cave or Arcade Fire, Gat might have indie-rock’s most important live show at the moment. If you haven’t seen the band, change that.</p> <p>All photographs © Bryan C. Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.</p> <p><a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-1.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-1-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-1-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-2.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-3.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-3-150x150.jpg 150w, 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width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-16-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-16-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-16-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-16-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-17.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-17-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-17-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-17-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-17-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-18.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-18-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-18-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-18-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-18-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-19.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-19-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-19-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-19-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-19-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-20.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-20-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-20-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-20-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Yonatan_Gat_091814-20-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Yonatan Gat Brings Killer Live Show to Cheer Up Charlies Tonight</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/09/18/yonatan-gat-brings-killer-live-show-to-cheer-up-charlies-tonight/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:16:13 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[BLOG]]></category> <category><![CDATA[UPCOMING]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cheer Up Charlie's]]></category> <category><![CDATA[experimental]]></category> <category><![CDATA[improvisation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Monotonix]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Show Preview]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Upcoming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yonatan Gat]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=17138</guid> <description><![CDATA[This summer, I stumbled into catching a set by ex-Monotonix member Yonatan Gat. Floored doesn’t quite cover how taken I was with the performance, which had me sputtering incomprehensible praises of the show for...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This summer, I stumbled into catching a set by ex-Monotonix member Yonatan Gat. Floored doesn’t quite cover how taken I was with the performance, which had me sputtering incomprehensible praises of the show for weeks. The band’s ability to pull in the crowd was transfixing. Their blend of loose improvisation and tight, cohesive instrumentation works to achieve and ever-evolving and musically impressive set. To read an in-depth review of that experience, <a title="Yonatan Gat’s Transfixing Show at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern" href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/08/08/yonatan-gats-transfixing-show-at-seattles-sunset-tavern/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">check out this article</span></a>. But the main thing you need to know is that Yonatan Gat will be at Cheer Up Charlies tonight. You should be there.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZU90Shdt2nc" width="460" height="259" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Yonatan Gat’s Transfixing Show at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern</title> <link>https://www.poppressinternational.com/2014/08/08/yonatan-gats-transfixing-show-at-seattles-sunset-tavern/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryan Parker]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2014 17:32:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[BLOG]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FEATURES]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LIVE MUSIC]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Drag City]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Live Music]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Monotonix]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rolling Stone is dumb]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Seattle]]></category> <category><![CDATA[show review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sunset Tavern]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yonatan Gat]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.poppressinternational.com/?p=16218</guid> <description><![CDATA[Yonatan Gat’s set at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern last week was a surprise musical miracle. Gat was a member of underground garage rock band Monotonix from Tel Aviv, Israel. I was clueless about Yonatan...]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-8.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16226" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-8-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-8" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-8-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-8-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-8-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Yonatan Gat’s set at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern last week was a surprise musical miracle. Gat was a member of underground garage rock band Monotonix from Tel Aviv, Israel. I was clueless about Yonatan Gat or Monotonix prior to the show, a fact about which I feel a healthy dose of shame, especially considering that the latter released material via Drag City and recorded with the legendary Steve Albini. But hey, I stay pretty busy, and you can’t win ‘em all. I showed up at the Sunset Tavern last Wednesday to see Calvin Johnson (of Beat Happening fame) doing a DJ set, spinning some 45s.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-16229" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-11-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-11" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-11-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-11-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-11-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />It makes complete sense that Calvin Johnson, being the purveyor of odd yet completely original and captivating music that he is, would be friends of Yonatan Gat. Johnson played a solo set of songs with the Israeli trio in Olympia two nights later. During Seattle psych pop band the Pharmacy’s set, the three members of Yonatan Gat wandered through the crowd holding their instruments. As soon as the Pharmacy finished, the trio began setting up their instruments in the middle of the club’s floor rather than on stage. The guitar and bass were amplified, but no microphones were present.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16227" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-9-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-9" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-9-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-9-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-9-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />As the set began, the three members wandered throughout the club, clicking percussive woodblock-like instruments, approaching concertgoers, even walking outside the club’s door for a moment, all the while chanting in Hebrew. Eventually, the trio reconvened in the middle of the club and launched into a sonic barrage of bouncing bass lines, distorted guitar, and blistering drums. These thunderous outbursts congealed into grooves, and sometimes slowed back into minimalist percussion backed by chanting. The trio occasionally made their way back into the crowd, sipped from crowd members’ drinks, stole and then donned ball caps, and engaged in general lighthearted mischief.</p> <p><a href="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-16220" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-2" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>Gat’s songs followed structures, but clearly incorporated a great deal of improvisation, as the members remained locked in on each other as they navigated shifts and changes. To highlight individual members playing alone, the band turned on and off basic clamp lights, which served as rudimentary spotlights. Artistic and primitive, the performance was interactive, arresting, and transfixing. By eschewing traditions of live music performance, transgressing spatial norms, and incorporating improvisation, the show stands out as one of the most captivating and convincing I’ve seen in years.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16224" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-6" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />Friend of Pop Press INTL., Robert Matthews, with whom I saw the band in Seattle, had the fortune of being in San Francisco just a few nights later to see the band again and reports that the show was even more interactive and magical, due in large part to a more participatory crowd. Matthews says, “The crowd responded to the band coming into its space with an engaged excitement, sparking a cooperative effort that began with hand instruments like shakers and eventually led to most of the drum kit moving into the crowd where it was played frantically by both crowd members and the drummer. It was jubilant chaos.”</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-16225" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-7" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />Recently <em>Rolling Stone</em> published a ludicrous list of the best acts performing live music right now. Unsurprisingly, that list seemed to correspond closely to what I imagine are the country’s top ticket sellers. Now, I’m sure that Elton John is amazing, and I know for a fact that Kanye West is riveting (both of which were on the list), but the idea that none of the acts on that list would be culled from the tier of bands playing small shows is laughable. Some of those stadium circuit acts deserve to be on there, primarily, Nick Cave, Arcade Fire, and Bruce Springsteen. But the intimacy and excitement of a small show that obliterates the boundaries of live performance should have a presence, especially in light of the fact that the experience is made magical without millions of dollars or impressive lighting shows. Heads up: flashing lights don’t make the band a great live act.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-16221" src="http://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-150x150.jpg" alt="Yonatan_Gat-3" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />When I raised this complaint to friends and cited Yonatan Gat as a prime example, several people expressed similar sentiments: <em>well, if Rolling Stone wasn’t at that club…if they haven’t seen that band… or bands like that… </em>This, my friends, is the root of the problem. If a publication is claiming to be on the cutting edge, if they feel brazen enough to publish a list of the best live music acts, shouldn’t they have done their homework more thoroughly? Beyond the question of who is the best, this issue becomes one of personal politics. If you want to help <em>Rolling Stone</em> continue building the boring paradigm that dominates modern rock music buy those $100 dollar stadium tickets, but if you want to see a truly moving live show, see Yonatan Gat.</p> <p>All photos © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.</p> <p><a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-2-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-3-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-4.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-4-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-4-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-4-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-5.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-5-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-5-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-5-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-5-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-6-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><br /> <a href='https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7.jpg'><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="150" src="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail" alt="" srcset="https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.poppressinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Yonatan_Gat-7-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 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