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Life & Arts

SPRING BREAK BEATS

Indie acts, glam rockers, Japanese guitarists were in town for those who weren't lucky enough to leave on vacation 

by CHRISTIAN OCHOA and RUTHIE RODRIGUEZ
The Daily Cougar 

A variety of shows were in town this spring break, enough to please the most eclectic of musical tastes. Here's what you missed while you were out basking in the sun, or toiling away on papers. 

Deerhoof at Numbers on March 10

When Deerhoof strolled into town, it managed to reel in a surprisingly decent crowd. The concertgoers, however, didn't seem that into the show. 

The San Francisco-based trio, known for its unconventional song structure, lyrics and rhythms, performed a closely-knit headlining act. Satomi Matsuzaki's delivered subtle, child-like lead vocals and bass guitar work layered along with John Dietrich's edgy guitar hooks and Greg Saunier's fierce drumming attacks. 

Deerhoof revealed much of its quirky sound through songs such as "Panda Panda Panda" from Apple O', its 2003 release. Throughout the night their overall sound oscillated, containing elements of indie and noise rock to creative improvisation. The set list was comprised of songs mainly from the band's latest album, Friend Opportunity such as "Believe E.S.P." that made for a more controlled performance, unlike the more dynamically vigorous sounds from their previous albums. 

The lack of enthusiasm among the crowd didn't give the band much to thrive off of, even though the band's energy constantly shifted in dynamic from Saunier's fierce drum solos to the intertwining guitar work of Matsuzaki and Dietrich. The crowd's lack of enthusiasm didn't seem to bode too well with the band and it made for an awful crowd-to-band chemistry leaving concertgoers fleeing the venue before Deerhoof's last song. 

Grade: A for effort.

Tetuzi Akiyama and Juan Garcia at the Live Oak Friends Meeting House on March 11.

Japanese guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama and double bassist Juan Garcia fused their musical talents to yield a delicate yet expressive performance. 

Akiyama's performance on acoustic guitar, retaining a folk and blues-tinged sound, was highly creative with his fusion of improvisation and noise. Akiyama also utilized silence as an alternative form of expression throughout the piece. Garcia of Monterrey, Mexico delivered soft, yet intricate bass work that portrayed his precise use of pizzicato. Garcia's string-work was lulling and suited the visual accompaniment of "Skyspace," a permanent installation by Meeting House designer James Turrell. 

During the performance a portion of the roof was opened so observers could witness the subtle changes in light that occurred during sunset. The performance was extremely subtle with slight transitions through different shades of musical colors and the ambience of the Meeting House suited both artists' musical talents for this exclusive performance. The music was hypnotic and most of the attendees made the most of the soothing sounds as they nestled back in their seats to watch the colors of the sunset change through the rooftop. 

Grade: An experience that needs to be graded on a different scale.

MSTRKRFT at Warehouse Live on Thursday 

A reason to attend concert is to hear popular songs that made a band popular, but things are a little different for the DJ duo MSTRKRFT ("master craft"). Stemming from the remains of the alternative rock band Death from Above 1979, MSTRKFT has gained notoriety for the remixes of songs such as Bloc Party's "Two More Years," Panther's "Thank Me With Your Hands" and Metric's "Monster Hospital." That was what made MSTRKFT stand apart from other DJs. At Thursday's concert, the band's notoriety for spinning tracks into something better wasn't present. 

Coming from an indie rock background, MSTRKRFT is purely electronic and like new DJ acts, the group played stuff off their Mac laptops. And perhaps because of the crowd, the duo just appeased them with an hour and half set of electronic tunes. Of course, a lot of it was from the band's album, The Looks, but not a single note from their remixes was heard. 

During the duo's set, a small circle of fans gathered near the stage for an impromptu battle session. There wasn't a clear winner in this ring, but the venue was filled with people who lost a lot of time waiting for them to go on stage. 

The crowd cheered, though, when the first single of the album was blaring through the speakers, "Easy Love." It wasn't enough, though, to redeem that night. The music was there, but it could have been found at any club. In the end, it seems there was only one reason why people were enjoying themselves: drinks were in everyone's hands. 

Grade: C-

Scissor Sisters at Verizon Wireless Theater on March 16 

Some concerts entertain and pump up the crowd with their music only on occasion, or rather, just during spots in their performance. But for the Scissor Sisters, it was a dance party throughout the entire show. 

The New York-based glam rockers made the crowd at the Verizon Wireless Theatre revel with hedonistic pleasure that can be only compared to the decadent lives of the Romans. It was self-indulgent. It was thrilling. It was a show to be remembered. 

The band caught the attention of the audience with "She's My Man" from their second album, Ta-Dah, made the crowd giddy with "Laura" from their debut, and sealed the deal with the sex-heavy and glamorous hits such as "Filthy / Gorgeous." 

And that's not even including the audience interaction. 

Frontman Jake Shears' background as a go-go dancer and lead female singer Ana Matronic's experience with keeping the crowd lively came in handy Friday night. Shears spent a good time peeling off his three-piece Disney suit in front of the audience, while Matronic's sarcastic sense of humor and her appreciation for everything being bigger in Texas kept the campy feeling going on in the night. 

And the songs kept everyone dancing: the quirky cover of "Comfortably Numb," the slamming "Kiss You Off," "I Can't Decide," a cross between a burlesque show and a mob story, and finally "Music is the Victim," which has a quick Houston reference. 

But it was all about the last two numbers. The band's hits, "Take Your Mama Out" and "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" sounded more explosive live than on the album, and proved anyone can rock, even when wearing hot pants or high-waisted suits. 

Grade: A 

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