Apollo Sunshine should be the 1st band on the Moon but for Saturday night they landed in Silverlake. I've seen them here at Spaceland numerous times, and this was a particularly vibrant gig, with the new songs from their 3rd release 'Shall noise upon' sounding extra grandiose.
They opened the set with Money, a fairly mellow yet jamming song, a bit of folk rock played hard, like Simon and Garfunkel after an injection of testosterone. I noticed the newest addition to the band, Ali, who added extra rhythm on top of Jeremy Black's layered chops. It was an interesting dynamic for the band, and it was entertaining watching Ali switch back and forth between using his hands and sticks on both a conga and a floor tom. Jeremy was alternating maracas and sticks against his kit during the first song. After ironically titled song "money", Lead Singer/ Bassist/guitarist/ keyboardist Jesse made a joke about how this tour could possibly cover the 3 grand spent on a blown transmission on the tour bus. (Runs on grease, so at least they saved money from gas, thanks Taco Bell.)
Jeremy put down his maracas and picked up his sticks to bang hard for the second song, 'singing to the earth (to thank her for you,) which sounded a bit more rocked out than the record, which I believe would be great as their first single. Jesse's bright falsetto sounded great.
For 666, one of the songs off the new record with more of a political bent than usual, the lyric 'believing is harder than it used to be' is something all of us in these times can relate to. I believe in Sam Cohen's spectacular Pedal Steel solo, which he displayed with vigour. The band's ability to weave so many different instruments seamlessly into their set almost allows you to feel as if you're in their living room during a late night jam. Although their psychadelic influences come through, It would be doing the band a disservice to compare them too much with their predecessors, as they are definitely locked into their own planet. They rocked hard enough on certain parts of this set, you could even see a punk rock vibe in certain moments, but with special care in the instrumentation, dichotomized by periodic spouts of reckless abandon. "the world will see........." I'm sure it will. This new Album is quite enigmatic, and quite to live up to live, but I believe Apollo Sunshine is up for the task and ready to take the world by storm
Getting back to their roots, Sam strapped an acoustic guitar to his chest and they did a thunderous rendition of 'Magnolia,' the hit song off of their Second Album. I haven't seen anyone rock an acoustic so hard since Grant Lee Phillips on the Jubilee tour. This song starts out with Jesse banging a cowbell, than picking up his bass and throwing some sliding lines up and down the neck ala 'walk on the wild side' meets Phil Lesh. And didn't I hear that familiar chorus on a Dewar's commercial? Thought so. But this song definitely works best live.
For Funky Chamerberlain, Sam takes over Bass duty so that Jesse can play some keys. This is a number that has you running in place on the dance floor and reliving your last acid trip, if you've ever had one. Jessie takes the bass back while Ali hits a snare for 'better change your mind,' corresponding with Jeremy's tight rhythms in machine like synchronization. There's some Jam bandy-ness going on but the songs are let to breathe for just long enough and than cut back, keeping a certain structure that is refreshing. The band really grooves a bit at the end, and cut it off right at the apex of sharpness, leaving us to revel in it's brevity.
Brotherhood of death, another semi- political song, which refers to a certain secret society that our IQ challenged (now getting ready to be former) president was initiated into. It is their punky dark number, the song that rocks the hardest. Jesse closes his eyes and tells us a story. This song displays a certain awareness of the modern corruption of our world, yet seems to offer up some kind of hope at the same time, complete with guitar distortion ending.
But than we make way for a party. 'Phyllis' is a song of hilariously funny lyrics where we lighten up as they sing "I"m gonna drink a lot of water, and rinse a few things out. I'm gonna make a note, to make a note of what day it is every day I'm up." Great advice, and it's fun watching Jessie strap on his double neck guitar/ bass and go back and forth between the two, staying on bass while Sam solos. Again, I'm feeling like I'm in their living room. And Ali is banging them bells against the toms and congas to keep up with Jeremy, the Lance Armstrong of free spirited drummers.
Than Jesse treats us to some frenzied rendition of a Bach song with Sam stealing back the bass one last time before ending out the set with "Lord" from their first album Katonah. A holy cry into the dark of night, a hungering for a true spiritual experience, not just a false religiosity. This is a serious song. "Don't leave me lord, " cries Jessie, and Sam wails off into a guitar solo complete with underwater distorted effects: a modern day Hendrix clashing with Greg Allman, but soon. Sorry, I said I wouldn't compare. (Oh hi, ghost of John Lennon.) Sam and Jessie lay down their weapons and every body jams on the percussions, Sam joining Ali, Jessie uniting with Jeremy on his kit. Ending the set with a drum circle of four souls wrapped in unity, than Sam banging Jeremy's floor tom before a final pause, the instruments are strapped back on, this time going into the song double time shooting off like a rocket from space rock to wailing punk, Ali whipping those dreads in a frenzy, alernating bells slapped against conga, stick on snare, and than alternating his hands again, keeping time again with Jeremy, and than the frenzy ends.
This is a meal that can't be digested in one setting. You have to keep coming back and soon you'll understand what has happened. The albums shows are to be sipped slowly through a lifetime, not something our attention deficit society will get right away, but something that will make history.........eventually.
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