Every once in a long while a show comes along that matches the perfect band with the perfect audience in the perfect place. Such shows often transcend the normal boundaries of a concert, leaving the audience stunned and the performer(s) far more sure of why it is they started making music in the first place. These shows can be large (Arcade Fire at the Hollywood Bowl, 2007), or they can be small (Bon Iver at the Troubador, 2008). They can come at large festivals (Jay-Z at Coachella, 2010) or in ad hoc venues (Tokyo Police Club at the Hammer Museum, 2008). And while it may be a little bit presumptuous to suppose that the above shows left the performers reassured, reaffirmed and re-inspired, anyone who was at the Anamanaguchi concert at Meltdown Comics last week could tell you that the unity of band, audience and venue afforded by that concert was nothing short of magical. Peter Berkman, James DeVito, Luke Silas and Ary Warnaar left the small back room of the Sunset Boulevard comic book store rejuvenated, having seen their musical and aesthetic vision realized by a sweaty mob of nerdy fanboys.
Berkman had been making 8bit music since 2003, although it wasn’t until 2006 that any of it saw the light of day. The first Anamanaguchi EP, Power Supply, featured 7 blipped out jams at breakneck speeds. The EP gained traction and the band toured briefly across the US and Europe. The legend of the band’s current lineup and epic live show, however, has more or less gone unwritten until today. Berkman, along with Warnaar on guitar and DeVito on bass, was playing a show at the now defunct Zaque Shack (see Fun Fact #1, below), when their drummer unexpectedly dropped out. Out of the shadows stepped Luke Silas. An audience member and megafan, Luke knew the parts to every song on Power Supply. He stepped in and absolutely killed it, and, as they say, “the rest is history.”
In 2009, Anamanaguchi released their second album, Dawn Metropolis, which featured 7 more blissfully chipped, screwed and bouncy tracks. They’ve also been releasing singles all summer, giving away a new group of tracks every two weeks. Their notoriety and fanbase has increased to the point that in March 2010, when Ubisoft announced they would be making a videogame out of the comic book/movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, they also announced that Anamanaguchi would be providing the music.
So, as part of the celebration, Anamanaguchi descended upon Meltdown Comics. Meltdown had been turned into a Scott Pilgrim shrine of sorts, as the Brayan Lee O’Malley graphic novel and Edgar Wright movie have unexpectedly exploded into popular culture. The sold out crowd, mostly store regulars, made its way to the back room, quickly packing the space and containing the overwhelming heat. To give a sense of the main audience demographic, it is important to note the following episode that occured shortly before the concert began.
Girl #1 makes her way through crowd with camera.
Girl #1: Excuse me, guys, girl with a camera coming through!
Guy #1: A girl!
Guy #2: Be quiet! You’ll scare her off!
Guy #3: They really do exist! Not just on the internet!
Girl #2 rolls her eyes as Girl #1 passes by.
The concert began with opening act and Tape bud D/A/D (a.k.a. Zach Robinson). We’ve posted about him before, as his debut EP Supermotives was quite the charmer. D/A/D powered through Supermotives tracks and some new material, littering sci-fi movie quotes as he played. For the first time ever, the audience identified the soundbites. Thrilled that the audience had picked up on the multiple Back to the Future and Bladerunner homages, Robinson closed out the set with a barrage of bass, compression and reverberation that mirrored perfectly the quotes he was dropping–D/A/D nails the “future retro” sound.
FUN FACT #1!
It was Zach’s Shack that Anamanaguchi previously played in! In fact, one of the new Anamanaguchi tunes, “Densmore,” was written by Silas as an ode to the makeshift venue, which was located in the back house of Zach’s home–on Densmore Avenue.
Peter Berkman (right) with budding hypeman Newman Wolf.
After a short introduction from friend and professional orator Newman Wolf, Anamanaguchi took the stage. Starting with the first note of summer single “Airbrushed,” the energy level went from 0-60 in a matter of milliseconds. The temperature accompanied the sweetly loud guitars and all the way through the roof and up to 11. Warnaar and Berkman dueled on guitar, while Silas kept up the lightning speed with incredible precision and stamina.With bleep after bleep and cymbal crash after cymbal crash, Anamanaguchi were, for a moment, pure rock stars. At that time, in that place, they could’ve been Nirvana with a resurrected Kurt Cobain. That’s how much people lost their shit. The show did, in a sense, feel like a Nintendo boss battle. There was the audience, being bounced around trying to break through to the band. Instead, though, of being able to pass through, the band’s sound was kicking the audience’s collective ass back towards the far wall. At the show’s climax, a roaring chiptune cover of Weezer classic “Buddy Holly,” the audience finally broke through. Everyone admitted defeat–the band by the audience members, the audience members by each other. Those trying to ward off sweat gave in, while those trying to ward off exhaustion gave out.
FUN FACT #2!
Guitarist Ary Warnaar and Tape writer hKWAP were next door neighbors. They used to play Grand Theft Auto every day after school!
By the show’s finish, the full synergetic transformation was complete. Just as marketers at E3 saw Scott Pilgrim as the perfect piece of 8 bit visual culture to export, Anamanaguchi established themselves as the perfect 8 bit crossover sound. One part pop rock, one part NES, Anamanaguchi succeeded in melting faces, rocking bodies and thrashing melodies. Berkman and co. certainly haven’t used any cheat codes. They’ve built themselves from the ground up, put in the practice and fought through every level. It seems now as if they’ve beaten the game.
Below are some Anamanaguchi mp3s, all of which are highly recommended. “Airbrushed” is a return to Power Supply, and a perfection of their style. “Densmore” was written by drummer Luke Silas, and is a sweeping, energetic ode to the Zaque Shack. “Another Winter” is off the Scott Pilgrim videogame soundtrack. It pulses through the opening titles of the game, helping the 8 bit aesthetic sink in. As a bonus, we have the RAC remix of ”Airbrushed” and a D/A/D track, “10 Day Vacation.” The RAC remix slows “Airbrushed” down to a more personal tempo, and supplants the NES lead with a horn. The drums also shift from scuzzed, white noise-based videogame sounds to actual drum tones, although the glitch and syncopation remain. “10 Day Vacation” is the perfect accompaniment to a Super Smash Bros. level, building from a fluid synth into a sick guitar solo, then again into a shiny, chordal chorus. Enjoy!
Written by willshoob on Tuesday, 3 of August , 2010 at 1:41 pm
Central Park’s Summerstage series has been fantastic, providing New Yorkers with fantastic shows from bands such as Fool’s Gold, The Morning Benders, St. Vincent with Tune-Yards, just to name a few. This past Sunday was the St.Vincent/Tune-Yards/Basia Buliat show, and I managed to snap a few photos of Tune-Yards and St. Vincent. While Annie Clark and her mini-orchestra played a pretty fantastic set, Tune-Yards stole the show, bringing a huge band that included three percussion players. Her amazing looping skills and sheer energy really paid dividends, having a crowd anxious to see St. Vincent in the palm of her hand. I was pretty obsessed with both band leaders, so almost every photo is of them individually. Both Clark and Merrill Garbus are fantastic performers, with Garbus having a raw, unafraid energy that I’ve never seen from a performer before, and Clark having robotic freakout moments every time a shredding guitar part was needed. The photos are truncated in size in hopes that this post doesn’t take up too much room on the site, so make sure to click on the pictures for larger images.
Both setlists are courtesy of the always fantastic Fluxblog.
Tune-Yards
Do You Wanna Live? / What’s That About? / Powa / My Hood / Fiya / Real Live Flesh / Sunlight / Hatari / Don’t Take My Life Away
St. Vincent
The Strangers / Save Me From What I Want / Actor Out Of Work / Jesus Saves, I Spend / Just The Same But Brand New / The Neighbors / Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood / The Bed / Black Rainbow / Marrow / Your Lips Are Red // The Party
Click through to see the photos and download a couple of tracks.
Written by hKWAP on Wednesday, 14 of July , 2010 at 7:58 am
Past FYF Fests (formerly F Yeah Fest) have been somewhat of a love/hate thing for me. First there was the quaint 2008 festival, headed by No Age and Matt and Kim: an introduction into the power and vitality of the L.A. community arts circuit. Followed by an unforgettable L.A. Scavenger Hunt, F Yeah weekend rounded out the summer in style. One year later, the festival had sprouted from a small gathering to an musical juggernaut, boasting a high end lineup and a new location. The day was poised to be a triumph yet between the cancellation of Dan Deacon, and some poor organization, the day left a lot to be desired. (the scavenger hunt was also postponed, adding to the overall disappointment) Still, FYF seems hell bent on redeeming itself, revealing a roster that, at a 25 dollar clip, seems simply too good to be true. So, barring any cancellations or logistical nightmares, FYF will be back with a vengeance this September 4th. Check back for updates regarding the show/an FYF Tape Mix…
Written by willshoob on Tuesday, 2 of March , 2010 at 7:00 pm
Chickens In Love is a full length album written by students of 826LA. 826LA is a non profit organization based in various cities and founded by Dave Eggers. The program is “dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.” The cool part about the project is that the songs were all recorded by successful Los Angeles bands. The list consists of: She & Him, Fiona Apple, Cold War Kids, Tim and Eric, The Submarines, Summer Darling, The Happy Hollows, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Dum Dum Girls, The Growlers, Crystal Antlers and The Pity Party. A one-day all ages mini music festival is scheduled for March 6th, 2010- 1 p.m. at the Echoplex featuring The Submarines, Summer Darling, The Happy Hollows, The Growlers, and more. For more information or to purchase General Admission or VIP tickets click here. Visit the “Merch Table” to purchase limited edition posters and T-shirts and (pre-order) records and CDs here. But most importantly, the project was established to raise money for a great cause, so make sure to donate whatever you can.
Written by hKWAP on Sunday, 15 of November , 2009 at 10:19 am
Our good friend and fellow promoter Spencer Ludwig is back at it with a new installment in his revered Two Dollar show series. Two Dollar Shows aim to unite the artistic community, and to utilize these artists as a means of supporting some incredible charities/foundations. The next show will take place on November 27 and all proceeds will go to the Minga Foundation. Here’s some info about the mission of $2 Shows, as well as info about the thanks giving show (lineup, location, etc.).
Written by hKWAP on Tuesday, 10 of November , 2009 at 10:56 pm
Caveat: No Set List or Photo’s (sorry, lazieness)
Mum playing the in US? A rare occurrence indeed. Not often does this eclectic Icelandic collective grace our humble shores. Thus, after a brief west coast stint, the group will retire to more familiar terrain, namely Malmo, Arhus, (insert unusual Scandinavian city) etc. Prior to the show, I hadn’t been an ardent Mum fan per se. I was vaguely familiar with their catalogue and had some experience with their more accesible recordings. However, the subtle, innocent, ambience present throughout their records really takes a unique shape on the stage. The bands best characteristics, namely their intimate melodies, are preserved. Yet live, the complexity of their arrangement really come into focus as does their great chemistry and versatility. While I feel that their records leave something to be desired in the way of substance and depth, their live set was a testament to what 3 melodicas, variously textured strings, and and overwhelmingly communal “vibe” can do for songs which seem to lie a little flat in stereo. To those who might be interested in a musically superior version of the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack, with the childish abandon and catchiness or I’m From Barcelona, don’t hesitate to check out these idiosyncratic Icelanders. Grab the penultimate song off their Los Angeles set list below…
Written by willshoob on Saturday, 31 of October , 2009 at 8:53 am
Just a reminder for all of you LAists. Shoot an email to us (thetapeblog@yahoo.com) with the subject TMTS CONTEST for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Throw Me The Statue and Bishop Allen on the 11th of November.
Written by willshoob on Monday, 26 of October , 2009 at 6:02 pm
About a week ago, one of my favorite bands in the world, WHY? came to LA. Hitting up the Echoplex, the show was highly anticipated by many people in the city. Before the show, both Yoni and Josiah were seen wandering up and down the streets, really giving off a humble vibe. The doors opened at 8, and Serengeti & Polyphonic promptly hit the stage. In fear of offending some, let me just say that I was not a fan of their music and leave it at that. After they played for a little too long, AU hit the stage, a band that really blew me away. They really impressed me, resembling Animal Collective with a live drummer (just a little bit). They maybe lost a few fans for playing for a while, but I really didn’t mind it because the songs were great.
After way too long of a wait, Yoni and co. hit the stage to a loud roar. Everyone was glad to see them, and Yoni seemed pretty happy as well. Hilariously dancing along to most every song they played, Yoni really was an entertainer. I don’t know if he was drunk, or if that’s just the way he is onstage, but either way it was hilarious. The show was amazing, mostly because the entire band was so tight and locked in. I spotted Andre Hyland (Blake Maxwell) on the side of the stage cracking up, when someone screamed “I Need A Little Time.” It was some pretty funny stuff. My only complaint was the lack of balance in their setlist. They played 5 Eskimo Snow songs, 8 Alopecia songs, 1 Hymie’s Basement song, and only 1 Elephant Eyelash song. This really disappointed me, because I absolutely adore the record. Despite the lack of Elephant Eyelash, the show was amazing, surpassing my extremely high expectations. Check out a video of “The Hollows” (from the show), and “21st Century Pop Song”, the amazing Hymie’s Basement track they played. There’s no L.A. footage of “21st Century Pop Song”, so the footage is from Denver. Check out some pictures, the set list, and a few tracks below.
Set List
01. Against Me
02. Song Of The Sad Assassin
03. These Hands
04. The Vowels Pt. 2
05. Good Friday
06. These Few Presidents
07. January Twenty Something
08. Gnashville
09. On Rose Walk, Insomniac
10. Into The Shadows Of My Embrace
11. Yo Yo Bye Bye
12. Fatalist Palmistry
13. By Torpedo Or Crohn’s
14. The Hollows
15. 21st Century Pop Song (Hymie’s Basement)
Written by willshoob on Monday, 26 of October , 2009 at 4:33 pm
Bishop Allen and Throw Me The Statue will be hitting LA’s own El Rey Theater on November 10th, and we have a pair of tickets to give away. Throw Me The Statue are touring in support of their latest record, Creaturesque, which was put out by the always great Secretly Canadian Records. It should be a night filled with great, upbeat pop music, and all you have to do to go for FREE is send us an email. Shoot us an email (thetapeblog@yahoo.com), with “TMTS CONTEST” in the subject, and you’ll be automatically entered to win.
And once again, the show is in Los Angeles. That means that if you don’t live in Los Angeles, or are not planning on being here on the 10th, DON’T ENTER. Download a TMTS track below.
Written by willshoob on Thursday, 17 of September , 2009 at 8:18 pm
I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, but the ever glorious, infamous, indie rock gods, Pavement are reuniting for a couple of shows in 2010. Pre-sale starts tomorrow, no joke. The first show announced is a New York performance on September 21, 2010 at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. A pre-sale begins at 10:00 AM Eastern time tomorrow. The password for the pre-sale is ZOWEE and the ticketing link is right here. I don’t live in New York, but if I did, I would seriously consider buying a pre-sale ticket. This show will be legendary. The rumors are already starting about Coachella ’10, and if they’re headlining, Coachella will once again rain as the king of festivals. I know the rumor is silly, and I’m trying to convince myself it’s untrue in fear of me getting my hopes of, but the mere idea of a Pavement reunion at Coachella makes me giggly.
The coolest part about the New York show, is that it’s going to be in fucking Central Park. If anyone is able to top Bon Iver at sunrise in a cemetery, it may just be the first Pavement reunion show in Central Park. Enjoy “Cut Your Hair” below.
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