A Strange, Lovely Trip at Pianos
The setting for tonight? Pianos. A Lower East Side classic. There’s a friendly vibe in the air. It is a beautiful Sunday evening: The sun is shining, friends are laughing, people conversing, drinks slightly flowing (everyone has work tomorrow). Kinda feels like a Strokes song, doesn't it? The crowd is sparse and spread out but my buddy and I arrived on time like some jolly green idiots so we expected that. My Stella is quite nice though. A wonderful sip. The night seems like it’ll progress smoothly but let's see how these mushrooms churn in my stomach (this could go terribly and I might end up with no material at all). But I think quite nicely?
Moderate Rock, a band I’ve seen before and the band I've mainly come to see tonight are outside soaking in the lovely ambience of the Ludlow traffic and having light conversation among themselves. I think we’re in for a good night. We sit across from a lively flea market while enjoying our beers in the patio area, intrigued by the youthful crowd and colorful garments. The mood is light hearted under the warm orange lights inside, and it’s a bit of an older crowd. Are they here to see the bands? Probably not, but we are. It's looking to be a real intimate affair. I like that.
We walk into the stage room to what feels like noise music. Glitchy and experimental, we are taken aback by the sound of a violin clashing with abrasive drums and existential synths, featuring a serious avant garde twang and croony vocals to top it all off. Some shit you would hear from your strung out roommates' space thinking he did something. He did, but you were too hungover to make sense of it.
The drums crash louder and louder and the screams get PRIMAL. Some parts are really nice, the synths were cooking, but it was fleeting as the music is unstructured and swung in many different directions. The vision was clear to me for 30 second segments at a time. If I ate more mushrooms, I think my brain would short circuit. They were onto something though. Something that I was not ready for at that very second. To be clear, there were glimpses of light and a beautiful, dystopian future. Just not something my mycelium filled brain could fully comprehend in the moment.
After speaking with band members, it all made a lot more sense to me. This was post punk dissonant, performed by rogue jazz musicians who were looking to push the envelope. The entire set was an improvisation, as the band is anti practice and rather have a field day on stage, tapping into the universal spirit for inspiration. Once I learned what they were all about, I really wanted to see them perform again, but definitely not under the influence of psychedelics. I believe art should be viewed within the context of its time and creation for this very reason. This is what you would expect to hear at a jazz club if it were set in the universe of CyberPunk. I asked for the name of the band and was signaled to hand my phone over. <# 185668232 inc. is the sequence of numbers and symbols that was typed into my notes app. Yeah, I get it now. By the way, fuck you Yoko Ono, this is what avant garde music should sound like.
The crowd slightly grows after they come off and more time passes, with a casual sense of excitement for what's to come. There’s an air of joy in the venue and it seems like everyone knows everyone here. That's how most good scenes are. A shaggy haired band, CPS, enters onto the stage next, sound checking with sonics much more favorable to the mix of substances in my body. Some classic riffs and chords echo throughout the room. There is no fear in their eyes or any semblance of nervous tension on stage, these guys rock out nearly every minute of every day.
From the jump the drummer is quite impressive. A good sense of cadence and control, and a light handedness that doesn’t overpower the rest of the band. These guys know what they’re doing. The set starts off fast and progressive. They get right into things and it’s reminiscent of early 80’s metal but gets grungy as it goes on. Abstract in its composition, it moves like a roller coaster but is a medley of great sounds. I can’t complain at all, in fact I really like it. With suddenness their foot pedal gets quite a stomping and echoes throughout my brain. It goes on to be almost a bit like free jazz??? I like it. Buzzy, fast, and anchored by skilled percussion. The drummer takes quick drinks between the rapid paced songs but keeps the music sober. The long hair of the guitarist and bass player swing around as they brush forward this painting of sound with great haste. Suddenly, a transaction of major harmony occurs as the band plays in unison, like a drag race between two sports cars going mirror to mirror. I’m tripping a bit so this feels like one long, frantic race, but an entertaining one nonetheless that I can't stop moving to.
Their shredding stupefies the crowd and honestly, the semi absence of vocals is not one missed. The instruments do all the talking. The vocals that are there are indecipherable, but who cares. They’re having a lot of fun and so am I. The drummer and guitarists' shirts are off, the bpm rises, and so are my spirits. I almost feel like the rest of the crowd is not doing this band justice. From start to finish my head was bobbing. Was it the most intricate set? No. But it was fucking enjoyable. I think that's what matters, right? It was a garage band roller coaster and I say that in the most endearing and admirable sense possible. It ended with tones of grunge, tones of hard rock, and definitely maintained all the speed it began with.
The last song was even a bit Black Sabbath-esque at one point too. During this song, the bass player hopped on the drums as the percussionist helped him fix his failing guitar pedal. He got up from a speedy mending and seamlessly went from standing to sitting, while still drumming. Very Mad Max. Check out CPS, they got an album releasing on August 22nd which you should definitely listen to and they’re going on tour as well.
The band who is on after, A Quiet Winter, leads with a strong sense of emotion that I was absolutely not ready for. Hard and then soft, the band is on stage moving in total synchronicity with their sound. Heartfelt, deep, contemplative. Tones of shoegaze and dreampop. Am I even describing this right? Definitely not. I know I’m not. It’s hypnotizing to say the least. These folks feel their music, and feel it deeply. Laura Hickli, who is on the keys, was in a trance, swaying side to side looking like she was living past memories and simultaneously didn’t miss a single note. Wow... This is the music of a dreamscape, music of things that had passed. In a good way though. In a way that makes you move forward and learn from your mistakes.
As the music progressed, it got hazier and hazier, more contemplative as it went on. An impressive side note I must mention- these guys even made their own guitar pedals which most definitely lends aid to their unique style of music and their fuzzy sound. The room is quiet at times, but always followed by loud and deserved applause. This band is great. I yearn for more of this in my life. Is it gothic? I'd say so. Luckily for me, that’s just what I like. Hazy guitar strums and incisive keys that touch the soul. Poetry if it were purely sound. The room is spread out and for what? This is incredible. Maybe people don’t care to delve deep into their psyche, but I do. It's haunting, thoughtful, it strikes a chord that maybe I wasn’t ready to be struck. Cold but warm like a depressive winter night under your sheets. Don’t forget the candle light either. That’s the type of moodiness conveyed by A Quiet Winter. It’s equally comforting as it is melancholic.
The sonics dissipate but are always followed by a bolt of emotion, like the fresh morning sunshine beaming through your blinds, waking you after a rough night that you’d like to soon forget. This is the soundtrack to someone’s life. Definitely mine at one point. It captures serotonin and the lack of, very masterfully. The essence of a complex soul. I love the spirit of hopefulness that comes later in the set, it feels like you’re working yourself out of a depressive episode. This is what music is all about. This is talent. This is life. They bring the coldness of their hometown of Calgary onto the stage but let their soulful performance radiate the crowd with warmth. Like a bonfire in the dead of winter. This is a transformative experience and I need more people to feel what they made me feel. Deeply human, deeply relatable. This is what it's all about. The drummer used soft ended mallets and it was reminiscent of a heartbeat and a will to move forward, more than anything. Tribal even. The beat of a drum that led our ancestors to keep moving and keep procreating. That was healing music and music that I will find myself returning to whenever I’m feeling lost in life (more often than I’d like to tell you lovely readers).
Moderate Rock was bouncy and quite whimsical during their sound check. This is a fun band and the crowd gathered for them definitely reflects that. Not to mention, it’s significantly grown since the beginning of the night but that's to be expected and is not to take away from all the other amazing artists that have performed already. From the broody nature of A Quiet Winter to the fun, bright, sound of Moderate Rock, there was a very stark contrast from what we just heard once they jumped into the music. Distinctly psychedelic with their layered vocals, Moderate Rock set a trippy tone very early on, both with the music and their colorful lighting. With so many members on stage, it’s amazing how seamlessly they harmonize despite what seems like a competition of who could play loudest (and not in a bad way). 3 vocalists provide a whirlwind of sound, opening the door to what feels like a heavy trip. The pedals are being tapped, the moog is humming and the guitars are reverberating. This is a wall of sound and an experience in itself. The music builds and builds, releasing into the crowd as the drums suddenly become a prominent driver of this sonic cornucopia. All whilst the set progresses, the guitarist Aidan goes from crowd to stage and stage to crowd, enjoying the show just as much as everyone who paid to be here is. This sounds like the soundtrack to many wild nights I’ve had across the globe, absolutely relentless in its energy and raw in emotion. Its life personified through instrumentation.
Just as A Quiet Winter is life music this is too, just on the opposite side of the spectrum of sound and emotion. Trippy, inflective, and never missing a beat, Moderate Rock refuses to look back and is extremely reflective of a fast paced lifestyle in their songs and in their performance. Nobody is standing still and there’s never a point in the music where it comes to a stand still either. Joie de vivre personified. The vocals are sometimes soothing, but I can assure you the instrumentation is never once relaxed (and we love that). It's always building towards something greater, a high speed uber to a destination you’re meant to be at, with the people you enjoy most waiting for you. This is the energy that we get up and search for in ourselves and in our lives, day by day, night by night. The singer's vocals stretch across the room and create an echo of liveliness, encapsulating a range of different emotions. Some like troubles in the back of your mind, some like the greatest joy you’ve ever felt. Even when the lyrics are dark in tone there is always a heavy juxtaposition with the scintillating instrumentals behind it. The music progresses frantically but with great control, always aware and fastidious in its sound. If you’ve ever had a late night bouncing place to place on various drugs having the time of your life, this is what it sounds like.
Moderate fucking Rock are anything but moderate. Extravagant is more fitting. The crowd hasn’t been as lively tonight as it’s been now. This is the music that moves people. This is the music that fuels the after hours and the blurry memories that come with it. It gets super spacey sometimes (thanks to the twirling synths that ring all throughout the set), even a bit alien before it comes down to earth at lightspeed and creates a feeling all too familiar, but one you welcome with open arms nonetheless. Weird, but a good weird. Like walking into a party knowing nobody but with the sense you’ll have a great time regardless. A sense of familiarity but a sense of the great unknown which we reach to in order to be our best, yet strangest selves. Like a good acid trip I might say. Whenever you think sobriety is on the horizon you are sorely mistaken. Moderate Rock shoots you right back into space and brings you closer to the grand architect who has blessed you to be existing in the same timeline as their music. There is a happy, familiar NY sound at times like indie bands of old but it's never convoluted into a roleplay of sorts, rather expanded upon and evolved into something greater. Trippy, fun, fast moving, it’s been a good night and Moderate Rock is the definitive soundtrack to that. I don’t even wanna write anymore. The music is fucking great and I’m having a great time listening to it. Moderate Rock is all about living in the moment and I’m about to do just that. Go stream their new Find Out EP by the way. Peace out nothing radio enjoyers.
Jesse Cabble wrote this amazing piece. More pieces coming from him soon. Follow his Instagram frrr
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