Make Believe | Ecstatic Sunshine
< author: james >
I think of all the contributors, I’m probably the most hopeless follower of the Kinsellas and company. I don’t really say this proudly, I wish I could approach every musical artist objectively, but jeezy kreezy I love almost everything those brothers touch, what can I say. So last summer when I found out their new lazy avant-garde, psychotic, “punk” (their title, not mine) act Make/Believe was opening for Cursive at the NorVa, I was amp’d. And then I loved their performance, it scared the bejeezus out of a lot of Saddle Creek fans and their energy was unmatched in its style. So I was even more excited to get the chance to catch them here after their wonderful new album from October, and as much as that was a different album this was a different experience. I’d love if you read about it, and perhaps even about the lovely Baltimorians who stole the evening.
Ecstatic Sunshine: Umm….holy crap, these guys can play guitar. And by “play”, maybe I should say “shred beyond all comprehensible reason.” But by “shred” I do not mean to imply that these guys are playing high distortion metal riffs or anything of the like. Rather, Ecstatic Sunshine are two talented young gentlemen from Baltimore who realized that at a certain point of technical ability and creativity, drums, bass, and vocals just may start to become unnecessary in the equation of killer music (big man David wrote about them a while back here . I hadn’t heard them, so basically I went into the performance expecting a low mood drone experiment and what I got was in upbeat, fast as hell guitar dueling that sounded more like Ghosts and Vodka than Growing. Expect better, more creative, and faster. Not once in the 30 minute set (I told you it was fast) did I miss the rhythm section. I felt like these guys maintain beat, backbone, and intensity with just their two axes and their mindboggling ability. One minute impeccable math-rock skill, the next freeform jazz, the next soft ambience, the next indie pop\nmadness, all with 2 guys 2 guitars and 4 fender amps. Check out their album Little Big Dipper at Relative, these guys stole the show.
Make/Believe: When I saw them at the NorVa in July, Tim jolted around the stage like a confused robot (literally “robotic” in his movements, jerking a leg up and then spinning and bringing it down, etc.) and I thought this was perhaps just the way he is. But then when I saw him in Joan of Arc at the Knitting Factory, the man seemed completely normal. Perhaps a tad eccentric, certainly clever, but there was nothing odd about his demeanor, so I assumed the NorVa must have been an off night for him. But then AGAIN I see Make Believe, this time in Brooklyn, and robot man makes a return, so I guess Tim Kinsella has a slightly different live persona for each of his bands. Or maybe just different drinking habits, I can’t be sure. Still, Mr. Kinsella’s antics were much more toned down than from last time, and that really applies to the performance of the whole band. I wouldn’t say they were wholly disinterested, but as the new album is a bit more musically driven than catchy, they appear much more focused on their technique and sound than their eccentricities this time around. On the upside, this means that their even more incredibly tight musically than ever, with every awkward off time hit and each unfathomably strange guitar riff nailed perfectly. Heck, Nate even plays the keyboard and the drums at the same time; as in, he incorporates the keys into his drumbeats. However, while I respect their growing musicianship and songwriting abilities, I have to honestly say this show just wasn’t as awesome as when I caught them at the NorVa. There was less energy and it appeared that they just did not care as much to be performing. Sure there was still a bit of frantic dancing and disjointed banter from the king of incomprehensibility himself, but the shallow showgoer in me was just a tad less entertained. But, I realize they are not 21 year-olds playing basement shows anymore and probably don’t care to put on “crazy show.” That said, they’re still constantly challenging the boundaries of “punk” and rock music in general, they’re\nnew album Of Course is really good, and I’ll keep following them as long as they keep shocking me. It does a heart good to see these guys still playing together and growing after all these years. Keep it up gentlemen, you’re doing great.
Make/Believe Set-List:
Abracadabra – Thumbs!
Small Apartment Party Epiphany
Television Cemetery
Plants Dance
A Song About Camping |MP3|
Bisect Duality
Political Mysticism
Pat Tillman/Emmitt Till |MP3|
Sometimes I See Sideways
One Zero
Amscerdica
A Band Room of One’s Own