Garfield Artworks
Four Bands + all different types of set-ups+ 2 1/2 hrs. to play= Crazy
January 23, 2010
Pittsburgh, PA
So we had what turned into a somewhat hectic evening Saturday night at the Garfield Artworks, as summarized in the math equation above (i’m loving using all different formulas to condense our performances into a bite size package…). The Artworks is already an interesting space to work with as is—it doubles as a gallery as well as all ages music venue, with a stage set back at the end of a tunnel-like room and that utilizes desk lamps as spotlights— and when you add to that four bands that have everything from a traditional rock band set-up to synths and soundscape electronics things can get messy, but also oh so much fun. Each group (locals Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Mercy Rule, Flotation Walls from Columbus) had 30 min. to play and in turn an opportunity to try and showcase as much of themselves as possible in a small space of time. I was already expecting to have a great night of tunes as I am already a big fan of Flotation Walls and WTF, and I was not disappointed. We heard a new song from WTF, saw a new acoustic set-up for Mercy Rule, and were introduced to a new (and old?) fifth member of Flotation Walls.
Even with everyone’s best efforts to keep on track, however, by the time AC hit the stage and were fully set up, we had 15 min. at maximum to play. So we just hit it and hit it hard. To illustrate this for you, here is a set list before and after:
Intended set list:
Prayer
Desert Dogs
Bad Talker
Three
Please
Dark Surf
Myth
Hari
Dust
Actual songs played:
Desert Dogs
Bad Talker
Three
Dark Surf
Myth
This hit and run style of playing is kind of foreign to us as we love to fill space with banter and talking to the crowd but damn if it wasn’t a lot of fun. After introducing ourselves we just went for it, nodding to each other and mouthing the next song in order to cram as many in as possible. We jumped, sweat, tuned a bass mid-song, and even managed a crown wide *clap clap* to the AC cheer. I’d call the night a success, if a nontraditional one for us. Plus afterwords we got to cool down with fellow musicians and audience members from the night alike at Howlers which I know I definitely needed. Performing gets you “jazzed” for lack of a better term and to have to stop so suddenly while riding it out can be jolting. Talking about the complicated nature of band dynamics and the joy of the Venture Brothers over drinks at least made that part of the experience more pleasant. A big thank you to all who came out (including my mom…).
love, maura
http://www.myspace.com/wtfpgh
http://www.myspace.com/themercyruleband
http://flotationwalls.com/
http://garfieldartworks.com/
p.s. I know, I know, I skipped WRCT on January 21st. But really all you need to do is check out our little interview on our main website (www.action-camp.com) and you’ll get the gist.
