Yakuza Heart Attack/Anamanaguchi/Astro Fang/Starscream @ Blind Bob's 8.14.09

...while it had been some time since we'd been out to Blind Bob's for a rock show [forgive us, dear readers], the summer air seemed to beckon to the masses, filling the venue to near-capacity during this evening. Perhaps you'd also have to factor in that last night was only the second showcase for the much-loved Squids Eye Records in 2009....

...Even early in the night for the opening set of Brooklyn's Starscream, the venue was percolating with activity. While we had sampled some of the band's songs, seeing them in a live setting was an entirely unexpected event. First and foremost, we simply had no idea that the majority of the band's music was composed and performed using only a Nintendo Gameboy. Yes, you read that correctly. While some may cringe at the mere notion of such blatant non-traditionalism, rest assured the presentation and the music itself was nothing sort of stellar. While the onset of a free-for-all dance party never quite manifested, it was perhaps the most engaged audience we've see for an opening act in quite some time...




...rather unexpectedly, we next came face to face with one of Dayton's most popular, and in our opinion, most talented outfits, Astro Fang. With the band celebrating the release of their long-awaited debut disc [albeit an EP], we expected they would take the stage much later in the evening. Alas, it was fortuitous for the band to play early, as by this point the crowd was already reaching a critical mass [no small feat for a Dayton crowd pre-midnight], and the energy in the room was palpable. Despite, or perhaps because of, whispered tones circulating the room suggesting that this was likely to be the band's swan song, from the fist note, Astro Fang delivered a collection of tunes that has served as the meat of the band's set for the better part of a year. What was so astonishing for us was how the band tore through the material as if it was fresh off the drawing board. From the cascading metallic guitar runs to infectiously twitchy synths to the unrelenting singalong choruses of the alternate-universe hits "Lovers" and "Passing", Astro Fang proved, yet again, why they are considered to be amongst the current Dayton musical elite...




...with lights dimmed and video projections running amok, NY quartet Anamanaguchi stepped into the void and slowly but surely won over a typically suspect Gem City crowd. As their beats got people moving and the guitar-played synth lines reeled in listeners, Anamanaguchi proved the theory of a well-placed cover in a set. Just as the crowd's curiosity was piqued, the band dropped into the utterly unanticipated cover of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" prompting everyone in the room into singalong and completely winning over the evening....




...with their first public appearance in a year, Yakuza Heart Attack took to the stage in support of their new album, II and proved yet again that, despite their relative inactivity, they are undeniably one of the Gem City's most loved bands. While the band clearly draws heavily from the vintage prog of King Crimson and ELP, Yakuza possess something that neither of those monumental dinosaurs ever possessed: a raging sense of humor. The playfulness in the melodies and the arrangements only further heightens their majestic, epic gestures and connects with their audience in a human and humane way. It was a testament to their audience as well that, despite not having been seen on stage for a year, this crowd knew every nuance of the band's music, despite the complete absence of any vocalization. So much for short-attention spans...




...for more photos from the evening, go here.