Be forewarned: if you hang out with Tayisha Busay, Brooklyn's grittiest glam-electro-pop-punk band, you will get glitter on you. Tessa G, Ariel Sims and Brandon LaLaVek didn't bat an eyelash at the strange scene when they walked in to meet me at Gold Leaf Studios last Saturday, where volunteers were papier-macheing boulders for the upcoming Pride party. I should have known the impromptu arts and crafts party wouldn't faze them; I had seen them perform last at the Velvet Lounge during Balls!, an alterna-queer punk/pop night thrown by Josh Vogelsong. Their presence on Velvet's tiny dancefloor was enthralling - the way they bounced fearlessly and spandex-clad into the crowd and the way the crowd loved them hard right back.
They came dressed as I expected they might, Ariel and Tessa sporting short shorts and lycra tops of some kind, along with studded fanny packs and big jewelry. Brandon was the tidy hipster in slim pants, a t-shirt and a hat. They were flanked by their entourage, a Baltimore-based duo called Dazzle Storm who had hitched a ride to watch their friends play at the clandestine, monthly queer party Backdoor at the 9:30 Backbar.
I could see why they wanted to tag along. Hanging out with Tayisha Busay is like being at the best slumber party ever. They crack jokes and finish each other sentences like only best friends or traveling bandmates can. They are outgoing and brash in the particular way New Yorkers are, and they know it.
"Brooklyn definitely shapes our sound and our look. When we go to other cities, people say oh yeah, you guys are from New York," says Brandon.
Ariel concurs, "It's written all over us."
"Yeah," chimes in Tessa. "It gives us a distinct and pungent vibe. It smells like hooker meets sewer."
Brandon corrects her. "Dead hooker. Dead hooker, in a sewer, wearing Chanel."
You could say Tayisha Busay was birthed from spandex. Ariel and Tessa went to school together as theater students on the Upper West Side, and would admire each other's daily uniform of leggings or stretch pants from afar. Pretty soon they were skipping class to shop together and decided to dedicate themselves to music. A year and a half later, they found Brandon, who had a solo project at the time. After churning out a few great songs together, they decided there was no reason not to form a band.
But the "true story," they say, is that they all work up in a bed together one day with glitter coming out of every orifice.
- Photo by Jeremy Sachs-Michaels
Later that night, at the 9:30 Club, the story is utterly believable. The trio's faces are painted in silver glitter, their bodies covered in sequins. When they hug me hello I am left with glitter residue all over my face. The girls' outfits are culled from Graham Avenue in Bushwick, where they tell me everything is cheap, slutty and just their size. Brandon dutifully complements their look- everything is black and white and red tonight, whether hotpants, leotards or suspenders. The over-the-top duds serve dual purposes.
"We need to be able to dance in it, so spandex, stretch pants, leotards, tights, are for comfort and convenience and fashion," says Tessa.
"And we always feel that us showing up to the party wearing the craziest outfits there makes everybody else feel as though they can be just as crazy," says Ariel.
It's not as though the crowd needs much of an excuse. 9:30's Backbar is narrow, cramped and dark with low-hanging ceilings. Tonight it's packed and hot. But once the beat drops on "WTF You Doing in My Mouth?" it's apparent that this group doesn't need instruments or even a stage. They bring the performance and the party to the dancefloor.
Although the band's sparse yet melodic sound elicits comparisons to MIA, Santigold and Little Dragon, their influences range from 90's dance music like C+C Music Factory and Real McCoy to Nirvana and TLC. For them, ultimately, it comes down to fun. That's why they chug glitter in their new video. That's why they're not afraid to scissor on a bar in front of Ariel's family (Ariel grew up in Silver Spring). And that's why when you ask them what they would like to do most in DC, they tell you "start a grind train with the Obama's on the White House lawn." With the dog, grandma, everybody.
And the fun-over-musical-purity mentality means Tayisha Busay adapts to playing all types of venues. "We pretty much have to," says Ariel. "Thank Brooklyn for that. We've been through the gamut of big, small, everything."
When the venue is big enough, they haul out the keyboards and electronics for a real live show. But they've become adept at performing in small spaces. This makes them an incredible live act and has also put them in precarious situations.
"We almost got electrocuted in Alston (Mass.)," Brandon tells me. "It was this huge rainstorm in March when we were on tour, and the basement of this house show was flooding. Water was running down over the walls, and we have all electrical equipment and we're standing on a board and it was just crazy. Eventually the lights went out because someone kicked a power chord but our power was still on and our music was still playing so we just finished out our set in the pitch black."
No such glitches at the 9:30 Club. The trio played a set of songs from their new EP Shock-Woo. The electro-punk beats and grrrl rock chants got the bar shaking, as did the well-choreographed dance moves of Tessa and Ariel. Choreography and matching outfits are key. That's why you watch a marching band, or back-up dancers, said Tessa. There is something hypnotic about watching people perform in tandem. To achieve that effect, Tayisha Busay executed some synchronized grinding ON the bar and even some well-timed scissoring.
"We can scissor and move at the SAME time," Tessa had warned me.
It was true. But this was more then sexy dance moves. It was fun and it was funny. Everyone's butt was shaking and everyone's hand was in the air. People started singing along to "Tonite," a song they had just learned the chorus to a minute prior. In short, Tayisha Busay brings the party and the party is infectious.
"We really just don't care about being cool," said Tessa. "We just want to have fun. And it seems like these days a lot of music, having fun isn't that cool. It's more about having a sexy vibe. Or a message. Not that we don't have those things, but in general we do this because we love it and we have a good time."
To see when they'll hit DC again, follow Tayisha Busay on MySpace: http://myspace.com/tayishabusay
Or Facebook: http://facebook.com/tayishabusay
Previously in Misc/Awesome:
- 12/28: Terrible Boyfriend/ Girlfriend Generator.
- 12/1: The John Waters Advent Calendar-it starts today
- 11/28: It Chooses You: All I Want for Christmas is Everything from Miranda July's Pop-Up Shop
- 11/3: Things I'd Move to Minnesota For
- 9/6: PHOTOS: Maloof $$ Money Cup
- 9/2: PHOTOS: Chantilly Model Train Show
- 9/1: Libby's List: 5 Things I Want Right Now...
- 8/22: PHOTOS: Best Friends Day
- 8/10: PHOTOS: Lawn Mover Racing, Eastern Seaboard Regionals @ Bowles Farm
- 7/26: Special List: Things the BYGays Want Now That We Can Marry In DC (and NY!)
God loves a cheerful giver.
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