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!

Athfest 2009: Of one man bands and deja vu

Matt Kurz One awes the crowd

Saturday (late night), June 27th 2009

Matt Kurz One & The Young Sinclairs

While Love Tractor was rocking out on the Melting Point stage, Matt Kurz One was preparing for his own performance at Ciné, all the way across town. My friends and I knew it'd be a close call, so once Love Tractor hit their final notes, we said farewell to our buddies at the table and rushed over as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for us, Ciné must have been using some sort of superfast clock, so by the time we had arrived, the one man band was just finishing up his set. Luckily, though, we caught his last two songs, and what a sight those were! See, Matt Kurz One has been generating a ton of buzz lately because, in his case, one man band doesn't really mean that there's just one member of the band. Rather, he's the whole band. Yup, that's right. The guy plays one electric guitar with his feet and another with his hands while providing the vocals at the same time. On top of all of this, he also beats the drums with his handheld guitar and presses the keys of his keyboard with a short stick attached to the other end of his guitar. I've honestly never seen anything like it! The end result was quite loud, but the volume didn't stop the audience from crowding around to see just how it was done.

Then, a short time later, a band that hails from Virginia joined us in Ciné's lab to set up for their show. Now, of course, I'd never seen this band, the Young Sinclairs, before. How could I have? And yet, something about them was eerily familiar. Their experimental rock sound wasn't the thing that gave me deja vu. No, their music style was rather unique but wonderfully enjoyable to listen to. So what was it? Partway through their first song, the band members began displaying some real energy, feeling their music and firing up the sleepy crowd. Their wild enthusiasm excited everyone in the room, and nearly all of the audience members wore joyous smiles. And then it hit me. Chris Mckay and the Critical Darlings! That's who they reminded me of. Maybe it was their clothes or their overall look. It most definitely had something to do with their spectacular energy as well. Even my friend Sheila, who has only seen pictures of the Critical Darlings, noticed the connection. Pretty crazy, right? Well, all I can really say is that you know that the Young Sinclairs had to be good. There's no other way they could possibly have reminded me of one of my top favorite Athens bands otherwise!

For more blogs about Athfest 2009, click here! I'll be updating daily, so be sure to check back often. Also, don't forget to check out concert videos from Dreams So Real, Venice is Sinking, Dead Confederate and many more at http://www.youtube.com/echoreynofathens!