Attack of the Cowboys, Aliens, and Everything in Between: Yo Soybean, Kite to the Moon, and Misfortune500

Thursday night was a lovely break from all of the schoolwork that has been plaguing me lately. To start things off, I headed on over to catch a forever favorite, Venice is Sinking, play Live in the Lobby at the WUOG radio station. Then Dreamboat, whose members Claire and Paige you may recognize from Hope for Agoldensummer, gave us a taste of something purely beautiful and serene with their short set. The rock, however, didn't start till I stepped into the 40 Watt.

Now to my utter surprise, Yo Soybean had already taken the stage when I got there. Why is it that I'm always either extremely early or horribly, unfashionably late to shows? I'm never just on time! Tragic, indeed. Boy, am I glad I finally got to see at least half of their set, though. After hearing about them for quite a while, this experience was certainly looooong overdue. And I've gotta say, I really enjoyed their folksy, southern rock style with a hint of pop. Wow, these guys went wild onstage as they played. Clearly, they all, especially singer Nicholar Mallis, have a flair for the dramatics! Using everything from banjos to harmonicas, they jammed their way through a medley of movement-inducing tunes leading up to a rather awesome wall of sound. Absolutely, genuinely beautiful!

Next up were newer blog favorites, Misfortune500... not the Modern Skirts as they tried to lead you to believe. Don't let them fool you with their jokes! Oh, the ridiculousness! Most wonderfully, these guys brought the darkness with their set, and I loved their sound just as much as I did the first time I saw them. During the show, they gave us quite an awesome cover as well as a taste of one of their newest tunes, a song undeniably filled to the brim with rock. Great stuff! I have to admit, though, you know it's kind of a weird lineup when these two bands play one after another.

And speaking of weird, Kite to the Moon took the stage next, ready to give us an experience that can only be described as random (and that's coming from a person doesn't ever use that word). If you've never been to one of their shows before before, all you really have to know is that you're in for a crazy spectacle when you go to see these guys. Is it Halloween again? Kite to the Moon will, without a doubt, have you pondering this question during their set. Watching them this time around made me feel like I was observing some sort of gathering of circus clowns. Utterly insane. I can see why the Cowboys and Aliens theme was necessary to remotely tie these three bands together. Madness, I tell you! Madness!

More than Music: the Antics

Last week, you read about the silly banter that keeps live shows constantly exciting. But what else do bands do to make the time between (and sometimes during!) songs less like waiting and more like some sort of wild party? Welcome to the circus, my friends! It's time for some crazy antics. From acrobatics to unexpected appearances to pure jungle madness, you simply won't believe your eyes at these shows!

Last Athfest, Deaf Judges gave us an insane spectacle when, dressed in full vampire garb, one of the members of the band leapt up and scaled the balcony inside of Morton Theatre to rap while perched atop the ledge, high above the crowd. What a sight! Talk about an experience I'll remember forever! And that's not all. At the award show the night before, they threw beach balls into the audience and rapped from chairs throughout the venue as the balls flew overhead. Wow! Just wow.

Speaking of playing in the midst of a crowd of fans, bands 50:50 Shot and Matt Kurz One know that there's nothing more exciting than bringing the music to the people. Just a few weeks ago, the trombone player of 50:50 Shot appeared amongst the crowd and began to play right beside me while the band rocked the Caledonia. How cool is that! And Matt Kurz One did his one man show thing in the round at Ciné during Athfest so that everyone could see the crazy mix of instruments and techniques he used to make his music. Awesome, indeed.

Local rockers Coco Rico and Doctor Squid get into their tunes so much that they've been know to burst into interpretive dance on occasion. It's so much fun to watch! Coco Rico's show at Tasty World in December was simply full of madness as they writhed and moved in an intense dance that almost resembled some highly amusing animal mating ritual. Doctor Squid, on the other hand, took it the literal route with some incredibly comical hand motions that fit the words of the song perfectly. I can't help leaving with a smile on my face after shows like these!

If physical feats are your thing, Crumbling Arches will give you an unforgettable night. Jumping from speakers straight into a rockin' guitar segment? They've done that! Playing their instruments blindfolded? They've done that too! Strumming their guitars while locked in some sort of ridiculous music-infused embrace? Yup, they've done that! And, I've mentioned my favorite of their antics before: the flip. Seeing them crawl over, around, on top of, and through the legs of each other without touching the floor is just totally mind-boggling!

And any conversation about band antics is incomplete without a mention of Kite to the Moon. Their off-the-wall costumes and unimaginably-shaped instruments are wild enough, but with the help of the Tiger Girlz of Athens, they put on a show that is almost literally like a circus. The Tiger Girlz, dressed in impossibly high heels and an array of unexpected costumes picked for each song, actually swing, climb, and fly on a trapeze right beside the audience during the music! It's an absolutely unbelievable spectacle!

These are just some of the completely insane things bands do to make sure their name sticks in your mind. You know you'll tell your friends about the outrageous antics you've seen these crazy musicians engage in downtown! But what else makes a show an all-encompassing experience? Don't miss the next segment of More than Music!

To read about all of the ingredients that make up a live show to top all others, click here!

Kristen's Concert Picks: This is Halloween. Everybody scream!

It's Halloween, one of the very few days of the year that people actually expect everyone they see to be decked out in strange clothing, ridiculous hats, and creepy masks! Naturally, because of this fact, it also happens to be my favorite holiday. And it looks like I'm not the only one in love with this spooktacular day. All of downtown Athens is celebrating! Pick your party... or go to them all!

The 40 Watt Club: Krush Girls @ 9 PM - $6/$8
No way... KRUSH GIRLS!?! This pair of (shockingly male) DJs were the reason I first set foot in downtown Athens. Newcomers may not have heard of them since they tend to reunite only for special occasions these days, but they are known all over Athens for their rockin' ability to keep the party going with their selection of pop dance tunes!

Tasty World Uptown: Kite to the Moon @ 9:30 PM - Show $5 (most likely), Parade Free
I have no doubts that Kite to the Moon will bring it big time for Halloween. These guys dress in costumes for their everyday shows! And, whoa, they're kicking off a whole Halloween parade here too. This will definitely be an unforgettable night!

Farm 255: Venice is Sinking @ 11 PM - Free
The soft beautiful songs of Venice is Sinking will serenade you throughout the night over at the Farm. With another Athfest talent, the Packway Handle Band, you're guaranteed to get a completely unique Halloween experience with them!

Little Kings Shuffle Club: DJ Mahogany @ 9 PM - Free
It's dance time! For the over 21 set, DJ Mahogany's ready to spin a whole mess of tunes from every era. Oh yes.

Ooh, this is going to be AWESOME! Don your capes and wings, everyone, and have an amazing night!

The Constellations light up Athens!

Saturday was indescribably incredible! As all of my Twitter followers know, I've been dreaming of seeing the Constellations rock the stage again ever since I first saw them at Atlanta's Summerfest several months ago. Well, it seems that dreams do indeed come true! Their much-awaited show at Tasty World Uptown just after UGA's win against Arizona State was simply spectacular.

Openers SolShakr and Kite to the Moon started things off rather awesomely. SolShakr got everyone excited with a taste of their lovely southern rock. Great stuff. Then Kite to the Moon, a local psychedelic rock pop trio, stepped onstage. Playing custom-made guitars in a variety of shapes and wearing hot dog suits, animal ears, and crazy rocker wigs, this band had a humorous style all its own. With the Tiger Girlz of Athens swinging on a trapeze beside the stage dressed as anything from pregnant nerds to Hooters girls in heels, there was no shortage of visual stimulation during their set. The members of the audience hardly even knew where to look!

Minutes before midnight, the Constellations, much-buzzed about Atlanta band who just signed with Virgin Records and has been heard all over the radio airwaves during the past year, appeared in front of us ready to show Athens how it's done. And boy, did they show us! Once again, they were completely amazing. The band rocked everyone's favorite tunes with a fantastic amount of energy, and the fans just couldn't stop dancing! Then Elijah Jones, lead singer for the eight-member power group, decided to make it personal. Jumping straight off the stage and into the audience, he belted out the songs while leaning on people in the crowd and rocking out with them. And just like at the Summerfest show, he didn't shy away from feeling the music and writhing on the floor during a particularly wild rendition of the band's ode to Atlanta, Step Right Up. The rest of the band members, too, took over the whole stage with their rock making the show a sight to behold!

Best of all, though, this band's relationship with their fans was nothing short of wonderful! Between songs they wished several girls in the crowd a Happy Birthday and even had them come up on stage to sing along with the clap squad, the band's lovely duo of backup singers, during their hit Felicia. And then, the coolest thing ever happened. Shab, one of the girls in the clap squad, recognized me from my Twitter picture and gave Echoreyn of Athens its first ever shoutout from the stage! WOW! My memory is a jumbled mess of what happened next, but I think I got a high five from one of the members, and I know I got to say the full name of the blog into Elijah's microphone. So freaking crazy! This was something I totally would never have expected. What an end to my Saturday night! I still can't believe how amazing it all was.