Lightning Bolt @ Trunk Space

After meeting at hoity-toity Providence art school RISD in 1994, Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson wasted no time paving the way for future noise bands to follow in their scrambled footsteps. The bass-and-drum duo has become known for their unconventional live sets almost as much as for their...

By Heather Hoch

August 30, 2012

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After meeting at hoity-toity Providence art school RISD in 1994, Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson wasted no time paving the way for future noise bands to follow in their scrambled footsteps. The bass-and-drum duo has become known for their unconventional live sets almost as much as for their self-indulgent, but welcomingly prolonged, improv in the middle of songs. Nearly two decades later, the band still surprises and intrigues via off-stage performances and other wild antics. Combining crazy creativity with an innate ability to keep audiences oblivious to their next move, this Lightning Bolt show likely will keep attendees talking about it well into next week. What keeps fans of the New England group glued to its tunes is the energetic jams, with highly distorted vocals rendering the lyrics incomprehensible. All the noise makes sing-alongs difficult, but that shouldn't matter at the Trunk Space, where Lighting Bolt and locals Sleep Money and Gay Kiss will create a loud mess. No one will hear you sing anyway.

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