Fear Before the March of Flames w/ This Will Destroy You, You In Series and 65 Days of Static 07.20.07

by Peter Aleksa / photos by Jason Bergman

I got to the Europa Club in Greenpoint just as daylight was beginning to fade and the crowd was beginning to show. I always enjoy getting to a venue early for these types of shows because you get to watch the energy slowly change. To see the anticipation building for the event that is about to take place, the slow transformation of whatever ratty American Legion hall or dim night club is the reluctant host to these informal services.

First up was This Will Destroy You, a four piece instrumental group that I heard someone describe as "like Explosions in the Sky's older brother." Ok, sure. But I guess I can see the comparison.
The music begins still, and quiet, until the icy melodic trickles have gathered the momentum of a roaring sonic river, bursting with a pent up energy that has been quietly building in that little stream. Then rushing out, released into a vast sea of feedback. The band's movements closely mirrored the way in which their music unfolds; brooding quietly until breaking out in a series of temper tantrum fits. Watching the bassist in particular, I was reminded of the protagonist of one of my favorite childhood books, Where the Wild Things Are, terrorizing his household before being sent away in exile.

You In Series was up next. In one word: tight. That's how I would describe the singer's Mongoloids tshirt. The performance, not so much. This was really the only low point of the night. I was not digging this band at all. They looked the part but I just wasn't buying it. They oozed with that awful, overdramatic shtick that tends to germinate in New Jersey malls. (Wait, I'm myspacing them, it would be too good if they actually were from Jersey.... hmm, no, Vegas. But close enough. That's like a classy Atlantic City right?) Anyways, there could be something there, they are signed to Equal Vision and all, but they are just missing something for me at this point. So... onwards!

At this point, 65 Days of Static still had not made it to the venue and it was unclear whether they would, so Fear Before the March of Flames took the stage.

It may still strike some as odd (how people shake!) to see the recently expanded Fear lineup, but I'm thrilled that most people seem to have embraced the way that the band is evolving and are able to spread their sound out both live and on their records.

The overall aesthetic of Fear's live show is far and above what most bands are capable of pulling off. From the stage design with its green, white and blue box lights to the dedicated core of fans who crowd the front of the stage and feel the pull to shout every word of every line back into Dave's face, a Fear Before show is a full on happening in the truest sense of the word. Dave always seems to have an intriguing stage presence. At one point he seemed to be waving his hand over the crowd to affect a snake charmer like control over them. Indeed, the group maintains an eerie control over the crowd throughout the night, constantly reshaping the energy in the room, shifting its intensity (dynamics!). At this particular show, the band managed to pull this puppet act off quite well even with a crowd full of hiptards who were too cool to uncross their arms for most of the night.

The band played a full set and ran through a good spectrum of their music with cuts off of Always Open Mouth, Art Damage, and even some off of OHPS. It was good to see songs like "Should Have Stayed In The Shallows", "Law of Averages", and "The 20th Century Was Entirely Mine", but I would have personally liked to see a few more tracks off the the new album (Utter Confusion As A Result.../...Of Signals Being Crossed!). Still, it was a great performance, and no matter what Fear period is your favorite I think you would have walked away pleased with the show.

65 Days of Static took the stage last, after almost not taking the stage at all. The band was making the trip from good ol' mother Britain, and apparently were Guantanamo'd for awhile. Or so the rumor goes. But seriously, I'm glad that these guys were able to make it. I had never seen or heard them before, but a lot of people in the crowd seemed pretty pumped for them. And I can see why. I am now digging on them alot. When a band like this opens (or closes, as it may be) when you go to see another band its always a pleasant surprise. Like finding a whole new world you never knew existed. Which is what going to a show should be about. Not suffering through some shitty trend-rocker garbage til you get to see what you want.

Anyways, I digress. Probably because I haven't had enough time to fully digest this band and so I don't have any hyperbolic prose to back up my assertions. The best approximation for what it sounds like is Russian Circles jamming out with the Dust Brothers. While that is woefully inadequate it gets you in the right ballpark I suppose. Anyways, long story short, 65 Days of Static is a realllly good band that I will be listening to for a long time, and hats off to them for not only making it to the venue but going out there and putting on a solid show to end the night.

As 65 Days of Static finished their set the final dynamic shift of the night occurred with scene kids filing out past some early arrivals who had begun to show up ready to put the Club back in Europa Club.

3rd Ward Brooklyn/Antistrot Mural

by Peter Aleksa

This weekend I got a chance to check out the Antistrot mural at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, I was a bit late in getting over to see the mural and missed all of the performances that the group staged to accompany it.

The six member, Netherlands based Antistrot collective create neurotic works that, while they come from six different places at once, avoid seeming disjointed. The multiple images and themes all manage to flow.

If I were to give you a completely inadequate one-line description of their work it would go something like this: A lot of sexual imagery juxtaposed with dinosaurs and simians. Filled with naked women and guns it speaks to new the american dream. Yet, there's something very off putting about the way in which the sex is offered up. It's very cheap and objectified and you get the feeling these women have been used many times before, while the men come off as predatory.

The 3rd Ward building itself is a pretty cool space located in a largely industrial area of East Williamsburg at 195 Morgan Ave at the corner of Stagg. For a quick description of 3rd Ward, here is this from the 3rd Ward mission statement:

3rd Ward is a 20,000 sq. ft. workspace and studio facility for artists & creative professionals, located in East Williamsburg. Our facility was formed based on the needs of contemporary artists and creatives whose work is often multidisciplinary... By helping artists pursue professional careers and creative projects, 3rd Ward is spearheading a movement that aims to create a permanent artist community in Brooklyn. ...space includes a photo studio, wood shop, metal shop, dance studio, audio/music recording & rehearsal studio, digital media lab, post production suite, conference room, large shared office space, and computer lab...

The staff there seemed pretty friendly and helpful and it appeared like there was a good amount of activity going on. Definately seemed like a good creative environment and basic membership runs $30/month for a one year membership. So, fucking check it out already...

A Mutherfuckin' Evening With Fabrice Fabrice

by Peter Aleksa

On Thursday I went to see a Mutherfuckin' Evening With Fabrice Fabrice, a (mostly) one-man improv performance/variety-show extravaganza at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre hosted by Fabrice Fabrice, a very important person and also the craft-services coordinator for the hit tv show That's So Raven!

The quick wit and dance moves that have made Fabrice Fabrice an underground sensation on the craft services circuit (and in his appearances at UCB shows such as Broin' Out and Crash Test) were on display throughout the star-studded event, which featured such big names as President Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, M. Night Shyamalan, and Aziz Ansari from Human Giant. Aziz and Fabrice recounted tales of their recent trip to Bonnaroo, where Fabrice mingled with dirty hippies. It wasn't all fun and games though. Fabrice was there to work. He spent much of his time serving food to comics such as Dmetri Martin, Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, and Lewis Black, and even took home top craft services honors!

Part way through the night, Fabrice showed he not only has a skill for craft services and cutting down 'Brooklyn' tshirt clad UES poseurs but a delicious judiciousness as well. It was time for Fabrice Court, where Judge Fabrice Fabrice--dressed in a fabulous Gucci/Oakley judges robe--tried a case of he said/she said. He said 'bitch stole my man', while she said not much of anything. I'm no court stenographer or anything (and Pabst was only $2) so I can't give you the exact play by play, but I can tell you the case was quickly settled and the harlot sent to jail for stealing the plaintiff's object of affection, J'Taurus. Luckily for all, bailiff Maurice Maurice was able to solve the case of the missing vowels.

Just when I thought I had a grasp on who Fabrice Fabrice really is as a man, he stunned me, and the rest of the audience alike, with a rousing slam poetry performance, in which he gave the audience a glimpse of his inner rage and touched on such important topics as oppression, chest hair, Harry Potter, and Nicholas Cage.

Fabrice ended his show by taking questions from the audience and used the opportunity to teach everyone in the room a few things about life, love, colon-cleansing meat products, the history of teabagging, and Paris Hilton's boring ass dead eyes. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say this, but tbt, it changed my life.

Sadly (for those of us in NY at least), Fabrice Fabrice will be moving out to Los Angeles with his "good friend" Nick Kroll, another UCB staple (who you may have also seen on VH1's Best Week Ever or Comedy Central's I Love the 30's). Kroll will be starring as one of the cavemen in a new ABC show based on the Geico cavemen commercials and got Fabrice a gig working craft services for the show. So, if you're in LA, be sure to check him out at UCB LA, or Fabrice Fabrice will cut your face til you look like Seal!

Genghis Tron @ Club Europa 06.16.07

by Peter Aleksa / photo courtesy of Jason Bergman

Saturday I had the privilege of seeing three-piece electro-grind ambientcore group Genghis Tron at Club Europa in Greenpoint.

Carbomb opened, and while they had what seemed a pretty dedicated cadre of fans present, their set came off, to me at least, as pretty unimpressive. There were a few moments of ambience and some tight drumbeats that caught my attention for a few seconds at a time, but mostly it was straight-up thrash metal. My compadre, Erik, fell asleep against the wall (or had a seizure from their light show, I forget which it was).

Genghis Tron hit the stage next. I had never seen the group live before and was interested to see how they pulled off such complex numbers live with only three members. I have to say they pull it off really fucking well, with a tight live sound and great stage presence, all backed by their impeccable drummer Fruity Loops Studio. On the set list were all our (my) favorites from the first two albums, including "The Folding Road", "Asleep On the Forest Floor", "Arms", and "Laser Bitch", as well as three new songs off the upcoming album. The new joints (hot joints? bitching jams?) were extremely satisfying and despite Mookie's rather formulaic explanation of the song structure ("i'm gonna scream a little, there'll be a guitar riff, some ambience, we'll both play keys for a little, then we're gonna bring it all home") they alleviated any fears I may have had that the band might settle into their sound and become dull. They closed with a song off the upcoming album, which I always view as a risky move. However, for a song largely unknown by the audience the energy remained high. It turned out to be the perfect closer and possibly my favorite performance of the evening.

All in all it was definitely worth the $10 cover and I left slightly in awe of the trio's presence and seriously fucking pumped for their next album.

Since the Tron played second, I bounced out early and so can't really tell you anything about Total Fucking Destruction or Pig Destroyer's sets but it probably sounded alot like this: "CHUGG-CHUGG-GRAWR-MOTHRFUCKING-GRAAAAWWWR-METTTAAALLLLL". So, whatever.