The
Rise, At All Cost, America Is Waiting, Fancy Feast
Emo’s, Friday1/2/04
Free
Week at Emo’s means no cover for adults and a nightly
slew of exceptional local acts, a holiday treat offered once
a year by owner/Arkansas native Frank Hendrix and his heart-warming,
hospitable staff. Electro-hardcore hybrids The Rise was headlining
after an eleven-month hiatus. I was stoked to once again hear
the fusion of cyber-charged metal with anti-elitism grit, an
admirable concept that has made the sound of this progressive
punk outfit fresh and promising.
First
up was Fancy Feast. I knew nothing about the group and didn’t
know what to expect. It turns out that a young lady with a
microphone decided to do her best to sing and scream over
programmed techno/house beats. Half the time inaudible/half
the time annoying, this pseudo-sassy pop tart obviously wasn’t
too sure of herself or her music. At best, the set was a poor
impersonation of the electro-assaults championed by Canadian
raunch-queen Peaches. The shy and nervous femme (this might
have been her first show) performed in the crowd, just off
front stage, obviously surrounded by friends (and the only
people in attendance actually applauding). Closing with a
Justin Timberlake cover didn’t save her performance
and nor was anyone laughing.
I’d been hearing a buzz about America Is Waiting from
various peers and scenesters. Although the name of the band
annoys the hell out of me, the moody discomfort of this local
four-piece did indeed draw comparisons to Dischord anchors
and indie-rock saviors Fugazi. The choppy and turbulent rhythm
section rolled cohesively tight with the bristle of the gritty
guitar work and the bi-polar thrust of the frontman’s
raspy screams and feminine moans. His voice often sounded
like that of Conor Oberst, cracking and shaking with distress,
as the Shellac-esq drum ticks kept the music unpredictable,
yet sharp. The guys in this band aren’t doing anything
new or original, but acceptable and punctual nonetheless.
I haven’t heard the new record, but with The Paper Chase’s
John Congleton tending to the production duties (Baboon, Explosions
In The Sky, Aaliyah), this band might soon be buzzing on to
bigger beehives.
The
reason for the plethora of minors in attendance that warm
January evening became all too apparent when Austin High graduates
At All Cost took the stage, sparking a pit that Slayer would
be joyously proud of. The Cost, having just returned from
a brief tour of our Lone Star State, ripped through the set
with noisy, half-time metal marches of raucous rant and hardcore
husk. The monstrous sound of this hungry, youthful group of
black-haired soldiers could play as the soundtrack to an episode
of the weekly Alex Jones show. The lead singer paced back
and forth across the stage, preaching a sermon of bombastic
yells and pleas. Accordingly, the large crowd screamed back
every word and frenetically swiveled with an angst-driven
energy that might frighten the Powers That Be. These kiddos
put on an impressive show and have continued to heighten their
sound, proving themselves as an integral force within the
local hardcore scene.
The
Rise had a surprise, pre-show appetizer that included lead
singer Cory “Cocoa” Kilduff and a new member of
the band doing their best impersonation of the Chemical Brothers.
Through a one-on-one laptop battle of programmed beats and
time sequences, the two pushed and plugged a handful of head-piercing
processions that included techno and drum-and-bass synths
to the surprise and satisfaction of the crowd. The two young
lads even managed to create a remix of “Fallacy Of Retrospective
Determinism” the opening track off the 2001 A Call To
Noise full length. At that point the crowd was really in the
mood and The Rise didn’t disappoint once their entire
outfit took the stage. The six-piece sounded swift and prepared,
ripping through all the crowd favorites and a couple of new
songs. Yes, this band borrowed heavily from the now-defunct
Swedish band Refused. However, they are successfully shaping
this sound into a crisp and
progressive movement that many electro-heads and hardcore
hooligans alike have embraced with wide eyes and open ears.
Stay tuned.
-Smitty |
