Although rarely employed as a venue for bands,
Therapy Cafe served its purpose fairly well this warm October evening....
Opening the night was a rare appearance by the art-noise outfit
Revampire. Their set began as a brutal deconstructionist onslaught, melding Brainiac danceability with U.S. Maple's uncompromising ethos. Near the end of the set, however, things quickly devolved into chaotix freestyling with a number of people coming and going from the stage. Initially, the onlookers were intrigued by the unique and challenging sound, by mid-set though, most were leaving in droves to seek shelter and solace on the patio....
next up were the eighties-hipster synth pop of
Shake Your Fusion. While there have been several acts nationally that have picked up the 80s mantle and made new use of the relentlessly maligned decade, this simply was not one of them. In many ways, it felt like a joke that was only minimally funny the first time you heard it being told for twenty minutes. With one member toting around a period-correct keyboard, one dressed in suit and tie handling the laptop, and the other two looking like they raided their older cousins wardrobe, this outfit was long on looks but short on substance...
The night rebounded strong, however, as LVX hit the stage. Hailing from Bloomington, Indiana, this set was nothing but relentless high-energy as LVX paced the stage like a lion stalking his prey. Still, a lion that you would want starting up your party...
Wheeling in from Chicago was the one-two-punch of
YeaBig & KidStatic. This set was the real deal: old-school eighties-style hip-hop chocked full of humor, self-deprecation, and infectious beats that got even the most jaded on the scene cracking a smile and bobbing their head. This was some of the most fun hip-hop I've heard in a long time. And to top it all off, they closed with a cover of the Golden Girls theme...yes, that's what I said...
Closing out the night was the inimitable
Nightbeast. Following YeaBig & KidStatic, however, proved a challenge to which few could have risen. Sadly, on this night, the force of Nightbeast was simply no match...
Overall, it was a great night of music. It would be great to see Therapy used more as a venue for bands of all stripes....for more photos from the evening, go
hereLabels: LVX, Nightbeast, Revampire, Shake Your Fusion, Therapy Cafe, Yea Big and Kid Static
