After having an excellent time at the last seaport show I went to with Animal Collective, I was very much looking forward to catching Black Moth Super Rainbow and Fujiya & Miyagi. I'd been digging on this one track from BMSR I'd downloaded somewhere, and I'd heard excellent things about them at SXSW. Fujiya & Miyagi put out a record that I liked well enough back in 2006; I can't say that I expected them to gain the buzz and fans they currently have when it came out in the US earlier this year, but good for them. And I was quite curious to find out if all the hype about their live show was justified.

After waiting around and drinking a 40 (open container at South Street Seaport is pretty excellent), Black Moth Super Rainbow went on a little bit later than I expected, as shows at the port usually run on a very tight schedule. I didn't know what to expect at all, and when the foursome came out and everyone but the bass player immediately sat down on the stage and started fiddling with keyboards and drum machines, I didn't have high hopes. But the band sounded great, anchored by an underlying groove and melodic sensibility that I love finding in electronic music. I was close enough to the stage to actually see everyone, and they seemed interesting enough. The singer was wearing one of those cat hat/mask things, that basically made him look like he was going to a furry club after the show. He sang using a heavy effect on his voice that gave it kind of a robot sheen; normally this would make me want to go to the bar and wait for the next band, but it really works with the soundscapes they create. The bass player was by far the most visible of everyone (actually standing up!), and he did a good job of locking down the groove and giving hope to the crowd that there was something interesting on stage. Indeed there was, if you ignored the fact that you couldn't see anything and listened to the music. It was an excellent set, and their record has been in heavy rotation ever since. But they really ought to consider finding a way to make their concerts something people can watch, instead of just hear.

There was a large crowd by the time Fujiya & Miyagi went on. They faithfully recreated the sound and feel of the record, and it sounded good, but honestly it was pretty boring. The crowd never really got into it apart from a few kids bopping when their jam came on, I was surprised, and I was expecting more. It's not that I think F&M can't put on a good show, indeed I believe they can. But I think that the kind of music they make really needs a room to give the oomph that bring people of out compliantly hanging out and gets folks into the show, ideally, getting their hips moving a bit. They would do well to not play outdoor venues, or to turn their bass up to eleven when they do. All in all, it was a decent concert that started an enjoyable evening.

Labels: Black Moth Super Rainbow, Concert Reviews, Fujiya and Miyagi