by Matt Neff Photos by Luke Holwerda
Black Moth Super Rainbow Aesop Rock The Clubhouse October 13, 2007
Better Than: This and that
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Have you ever wished more bands would take a cue from the Navy Seals and—as you’re quietly admiring the architecture of the venue rafters—creep up behind you, grab your hair in a fist, and open your carotid artery from ear to ear? I know I have! Although Black Moth Super Rainbow didn’t quite do that to me, they did pleasantly surprise me in a manner akin to being licked on the back of my neck by a frisky unicorn. They stir up an extremely creamy blend of vocoder-heavy psychedelic synth pop, and ANALOG synth pop no less, meaning there’re nice fat waves of color rolling off your tongue and eyelids as the hard and heavy rhythm section crams it in your nostrils and/or armpits.
Drums and bass were locked in, the Nord/Yamaha synth axis roamed around like a freewheelin’ Atari astronaut, and the vocodings moved in and out of the proceedings with eyes agog. The band came out and didn’t say much before putting their heads down and into it—there were five of em—no mikes to speak of, the drummer a hooded silhouette in front of a video screen playing extremely weird surrealist video: sinister looking kids puppet shows, 70s horror schlock, porn facials, Richard Simmons tapes, lo-budget car commercials, etc.—without a doubt the visuals were one of the best parts. (Apparently BMSR member “Tobacco” made the whole thing and is now selling it on a DVD called “F*cked Up Friends,” available here and excerpted below).
The crowd went fairly nuts for each song and I thought maybe they’d get enough of a hubbub going for an encore, but it was not meant to be. Black Moth Super Rainbow: I’d never heard of em before tonight, but now how can I forget them? They very well could be the BEST BAND ON THE PLANET AND/OR MY REVIEWING PLATE.
http://www.blackmothsuperrainbow.com/ http://www.myspace.com/blackmothsuperrainbow
(Please note that the music that accompanies this video is not Black Moth Super Rainbow's, but member Tobacco's. See here also.)
Aesop Rock
I realized about five minutes into this show that hip-hop bores the hell out of me, contrary to what I thought I believed. So, rather than fumble my way through an ignorant and biased analysis, I’ll turn it over to my friend and roommate Patrick, a translucent Bostonian of Irish decent and a steadfast Aesop Rock fan. This review was transcribed and molded from Patrick’s post-Aesop-Rock-show jiving. Good luck:
YEAH BOIEEE!!! THAT AESOP SHOW WAS, LIKE, SO KICKIN’, BEEYATCH! AESOP CAME OUT WITH HIS BOY ROB SONIC AND THE TWO O THEM TORE IT UP, YO! THERE WUZ SOME FINE LOOKIN HONEYS IN THE FRONT ROW, LIKE, PRESENTIN’ THEMSELVES TO OLE AESOP BUT HE PLAYED IT COOL MAN, SLAMMED OUT A LOT OF NEW SHIT AND THEN SOME OLDER SHIT TOWARDS THE END, SO NOT EVERYONE WAS SINGING ALONG ALL THE TIME, AIGHT? THERE WUZ ALSO A COUPLA DUMBASSES GOT REAL EXCITED BEFORE THE SHOW AND WERE SCREAMING “AEEESOOOPPPP! AEEEESOOOOPPPP!” AS IF THE MAN HIMSELF WAS GONNA COME OUT SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE MUFFS SAID HIS NAME! IF I KNOW ONE THING ABOUT AESOP, IT’S THAT HE’S HIS OWN BOSS, AND HE DON’T COME OUT FOR A COUPLA ICE-CREAM-EATIN’ MOFOS LIKE THOSE GUYS! GEEZ! ANYWAY—AESOP PULLED MORE GOODIES OUTTA HIS BAG THAN YOU COULD FROM A BOX O’ CRACKER JACKS, ONE OF THE MOST DELICIOUS SNACK FOODS EVER MADE BY PEOPLE! DUDE, ONE TIME ME AND MY BOYS WERE AT WAL-MART, RIGHT, AND WE’D JUST FINISHED SMOKING OUR STUFF IN THE MEN’S ROOM, WHEN MY BUDDY JOHNNY D.—YOU REMEMBER JOHNNY!—STARTED OPENING ALL THESE BOXES OF CRACKER JACKS AND SNARFING IT DOWN LIKE IT WUZ HOGSFEED OR SOME SHIT! I WUZ LIKE, YO, CHILL YO-SELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YO-SELF! AND SURE ENOUGH THAT WUZ WHEN HE SWALLOWED THE DIORAMA OF KIEV THAT CAME IN THE BOX! MAN, HE WAS COUGHIN UP BLOOD AND COSSACKS FOR WEEKS! HAW HAW! ANYWAY, I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE ROB SONIC WAS SO BUSY ON THE MIKE, RAPPING IT UP WITH HIS OWN SONGS, DETRACTING FROM VALUABLE AESOP-TIME—BUT HEY, I GUESS YOU GOTTA RESPECT YOUR PEEPS, AND I KNOW AESOP WAS ALL UP IN THAT! JUST ONE MAN’S OPINION, YO. WORD, G—‘S TIME FOR SOME HALO 3. DON’T BE HATING ON MY BOY NEFF IN THAT THERE COMMENT BOX OR I MAY HAVE TO TEACH ALLA YOU FOOLS SOME RESPECT, UNDERSTAND?
Yow!!! I can feel the excitement of the show rekindled just by reading Patrick’s review again. Maybe I’ll let him review….more things….?
http://www.myspace.com/aesoprockwins
Personal Bias: ;) Random Detail: :(
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB RIDES AGAIN
DENOUNCING THE LAZINESS OF THE HARE
ROB SONIC, WITH FRIEND
LAST EXIT TO INTENSITY
