For the love of Anticon…WHY?!
by Kat
No one can truly say they LOVE any member of the Anticon collective until they’ve seen them perform. After a renegade road trip –(traffic tickets count!)–through the deserts of Nevada to L.A., my live exposure to Anticon began in ‘05 with 13 & God (a perfectly fated, gorgeously resonant collaboration of Themselves and The Notwist) at the El Rey Theatre and currently rests with the best memory of summer’s end: WHY? @ (Le) Poisson Rouge (NYC).
“What impressed me most was hearing the smallest components of the recordings brought to life so spot on! I don’t remember ever seeing so many people collectively happy and smiling. It was great to be a part of that vibe.”
– Chad
While I had seen WHY? previously at the Bowery Ballroom, the evening most stunned Chad and Mike who cast virgin eyes on the band in action. They repeatedly turned to me wide eyed, giving me the “Duuude Headshake.” You know the one. “Dude” is repeatedly vocalized as your head motions – this way and that – gesturing that any hopes or expectations worth having – were just blown, porn style! The pleasure is mine in such moments…I feel at home there. In this case, I stood smiling wider than usual before taking in the cravable, experirock/folkhop greatness that flowed through the perfectly lit stage.
Where do I rank LPR on my venues list? The pro is the killer sound and righteously, the most important requirement. WHY? played their music incredibly thick yet sliced evenly and brought to life the smallest, most unique recording touches from albums old and new. A must have for WHY?’s juicy melodies, pieced ever-so-boldly! This was especially evident in material from Eskimo Snow, their most recent release. The crowd couldn’t be happier, mouthing along to Yoni Wolf’s every poetic and peculiarly paired thought. Bodies moved and fan faces appeared…transcended? A visual reference of said expressions to Woodstock footage. I smelled it, too. The sea of the crowd-goers was, indeed, much to celebrate – from Stussy-esqe in style – to traditional hat wearing, two-curl rockin’ religious types. In groups, Anticon lovers never come off as showy, trying too hard nor do they ever pose as experts of any genre. They stand for variety, revel in the highlights of detail and they know their shit. “Do you see that the guy from Fog is on stage?!”… vibrantly, a rewarding memory for all WHY? lovers.
The con: stage to floor (to door?) ratio. The side of the stage here wraps around to the entrance (which are both on the same level) and melts into the general floor where occasional structure columns appear. With one hell of a wide layout, the view of the stage was not created equal nor was standing towards the back ideal. Yet, each stoked soul making up the sold out spectacle enjoyed their Saturday night thoroughly! Though a bit of envy did whisper around the room towards videographers who filmed on raised platforms throughout the space. We also heard word about a documentary in the works. Possibly the reason they played the highly requested rarity, “21st Century Pop Song” from Hymie’s Basement? The moment “WOW”ed the audience and had them grabbing their familiars.
After two encores, attendees rushed out to give respect, thanks, and credit card numbers (via iPhone app!) to crew and band members hanging around the merch table. Josiah was extremely generous and oozing with gratitude. Yoni, looking rather Madame Tussaud-esque sectioned off behind a velvet rope, chatted radiantly. Sooner than anyone could finish comparing set list opinions, the place turned into a trendy, overly urban DJ extravaganza. Naturally, WHY? fans hastily dispersed throughout the Village. Tastes of all sorts were surely satisfied that evening with a deliciously clean dose of the label’s musicianship (certainly no pun intended)!
Special Thanksto Daniel Gill // Force Field PR
Tags: Anticon, Josiah Wolf, WHY?, Yoni Wolf
- December 31, 2009
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