Last night We Barbarians (pictured) and Superhumanoids filled the Echo with sounds and people of all shapes and sizes. I thought the diverse crowd perfectly reflected the eclectic mix of the two groups’ styles, supporting both the soft, glow of the Superhumanoids and the driving, alt rock of We Barbarians. It was clear that the audience was just as open minded to different genres as well: I spoke to several people around me who were fans of Interpol, The Mars Volta, Kings of Leon, and Bloc Party.

Superhumanoids put on a fantastic stage show, filling the venue with warm, pulsing beats that reminded me of a low-fi Depeche Mode or something akin to ‘surf glam’. Their sometimes dark, poppy beats were punctuated by an alternating female and male vocalist, both as sweet and melancholy as could be. It was only 10pm but the audience was dancing with gusto as if no one had to get up early this morning. Superhumanoids currently have various dates scheduled in California through the end of September, performing at Bootleg Theater with Gamble House and Rumspringa on Friday, Sept 24th (Check out Lauren Novik’s recent interview with Rumspringa for an inside look at the band). Superhumanoids‘ EP Urgency is available for free download on both their Myspace page and on their website.

 

 

Despite an almost overpowering sourceless odor that permeated the bar and stage area, I stood fast with the other fans determined not to lose their spot for We Barbarians. I thought briefly ‘I wonder if it’s a natural gas leak?’ before considering exiting the building. Then I thought, ‘What better way to go out than an explosion at a rock show?’ Luckily, just as quickly as it had arisen, the smell dissapated before the downbeat, replaced by the welcome smell of incense in its place. It was bizarre, but fortunately it didn’t detract from the equally strange show put on by We Barbarians.

When I label their show ‘strange’, I mean it as the highest compliment. I really didn’t know what to expect from the unlikely trio of gentlemen, but they shocked and awed me with their talent and ingenuity in their song writing and performance. They played rock music, but it wasn’t your typical rock music fare. There were elements of pop, noise, ambient, and blues, uniquely remixed and repackaged for your consumption. The lead singer sported a jean jacket, hat, and cartoon-villain style moustache, the timbre of his vocals reminiscent of Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. He sang and played guitar and keyboard with a passion that bordered on fury. The drummer had close-cropped hair and the ubiquitous v-neck t shirt, frequently lending another vocal dimension to the mix as he kept a tight lid on some of the most unique rock beats I’ve had the pleasure of hearing. The bassist wore cuffed jeans and a faded white t shirt, his hair shaped into a fantastic modified faux hawk. It was the bassist’s playing that really caught my ear and held it: when he played the standard, repetitious rock band bass line but he played it with enough finesse and excitement in his fingers and body that kept the line fresh and interesting, unlike so many other up and coming bands that seem to be indifferent to sloppy bass playing. There were a few songs over the course of the evening where he really stepped out of the box, packing his bass line with busy, exciting noodlings that would be at home on any jam band’s stage.

One of the best ways to tell a band’s impact on the crowd is the crowd’s participation. Towards the end of the performance, We Barbarians began a song that the entire crowd immediately picked up on and began clapping to. It wasn’t just the half-hearted stadium clap that can be a little rough around the edges, but a crowd-wide clap-along that lasted for the duration of the tune. They’ve already got the kind of fan following and larger-than-life rock sound that U2 and Radiohead have spent years perfecting, and I’m really excited to hear what’s next from the trio. We Barbarians are currently on a cross-country tour through mid-October. They are also working on a new album, and their 2009 LP There’s This There’s That is available on iTunes and Insound.