Live DC: Snowden/Colour Revolt/The Epochs/Belflur at the Rock and Roll Hotel

May 15, 2008 by John Foster  Send to a Friend

All photos: Melanie Hoff

A strange thing happened to me venturing down H Street on a Tuesday night.
I managed to attend four different concerts all held at the same venue on the same stage. I actually only moved 3-4 feet to either side for the entire evening, yet found that I was the only one remaining stationary. The ebb and flow of attendees seemed to completely change depending on which band was appearing, with a minimum of overlap. The only way that I could make sense of it was to compliment soundman Rob Curtis for handling such a wide variety of sounds and instruments on the way out. Searching for some continuity, I was simply at a loss. The only commonality each set shared was something I hope to see a lot more of at DC nightclubs: the presence of an odd banjo carrying fellow in the audience stalking his way about the club all night with darting eyes and long thin black hair. His gloomy meandering about somehow made sense of the senseless.

Show#1: Belflur – Diving into a reverb-drenched, jazzy atmosphere with pulsing drums, they pleasantly reminded me of thoughtful bands of yesteryear like Talk Talk, Dif Juz or perhaps The Blue Nile on speed – breezy yet appropriately moody. It soon became apparent that any influence of such groups would have come second hand as they proceeded to put on a very Radiohead-like set. Cascades of guitar and at times epic arrangements managed to bring members of the other bands out to see who was making this majestic noise. One could ask if bowed bass, vibes, extra percussion with a floor tom, ride and tambourine, bells, hand claps and foot stomps are just overkill – but when used in the right hands I don’t think so. If the boys can shake off a case of the Yorkies and add some solid melodies, they won’t be the opening act for long with their dynamic set.

Show #2: The Epochs – After an agonizingly long change between sets (including the band seemingly standing in the dark on stage for 5 minutes solid) New York’s Epochs came to life. They oddly brought in an entirely new wave of people filled with lots of baseball caps and guys with white tennis shoes. Lots of white tennis shoes. Shaking off some early feedback, they set out to play plodding dance rock with a keyboardist/vocalist doing a hippy version of Michael Jackson without the laid back vibe of a Jamiroquai. When the guitarist takes over vocal duties on the second song with a bland radio ready voice, they seem instantly well-suited for a Maroon 5 opening band slot on their next arena tour. They are painfully bland and have none of the charm a band like The Klaxons bring to this territory. The guy in front of me with his mesh cap (white tennis shoes of course) and neck hair nods along to every beat. I start to yearn for this hour of my life back. The Matrix are likely writing a song for them as you read this.

The crowd tellingly exits, not to return.

The Shins come over the PA and I start to feel a little better. Pop with a purpose.

Show #3: Colour Revolt – An entirely new crowd (half as large) forms around this hotly-tipped five piece. What they get is sludgy, bombastic guitar rock with a capital “R.” Wonderful Meat Puppets style doubled vocals are negated as they give way to growled/screamed surges. Its noisy but like a lot of the night so far, lacking in obvious melody. In their favor, they are the first band without a bunch of fancy equipment, yet manage to easily be twice as loud and play like they really mean it. Truthfully, they seem good at this thick howling southern dirge rock that I could never connect to and if you haven’t caught on yet - I am clearly a serious music snob. Sadly, they combine with The Epochs to all too closely remind me of the polar sides of today’s radio that make me nauseous, flipping from Fall Out Boy to Nickelback.

I make eye contact with the banjo guy. It sort of sends shivers up my spine. Weird. Memorable. Two things missing so far from the night so thank you oh strange misfit.

Some voice next to me is complaining up a storm about the lack of melody on display so far and can’t wait to get to Snowden. (He is right on both counts.) I am glad someone else has stuck through the entire show with me in an odd way and been left empty in much the same fashion. I am not surprised to turn to see William Albuquerque standing before me but enough about post punk Djs, as we have show number four upon us!

Show #4: Snowden – Opening with “Black Eyes” and the big beats and bursts of guitar washes, Jordan tosses his head back and forth to the “shake shake shake” closing. They instantly bring a tight bit of pop songwriting (gloomy as it may be) to the proceedings. Moving into “Like Bullets” and amid more thump, he utters “it’s just business as usual” in a cool detached manner, but it hardly is. Snowden put simple pieces together in a way that few do today. On record it makes them instantly engaging. In concert, it exposes a thinness in sound that requires a little head of steam to move past, given the ashes of so much music laid before them this evening. “Anti Anti” seems up to the challenge with its hooks and sing-a-long vocals. I get the sense that if everyone had stayed and we had a packed house surging with every beat that this could be magical. People want to dance and some are trying, but it is awkward.

I start to take account of the impending future where The Epochs blandness and Colour Revolt’s bombast meet larger audiences, when the one that could do the most with it is left behind. Snowden deserve better.

They introduce a slew of new songs with a slow drifting number denying me the rush I want. A second effort tears into chopped guitar lines cutting and sputtering and the familiar bass rumble. When they hit the tight break and double the vocals and distort the guitars they fully lock in and hit faster and faster. “Between The Rent and Me” follows perfectly, with it’s quickening pace, and the gathered are taking some of the sing-a-long cues and a big guy off to the side is starting to lose his dancing shit in a good way.

Another new song “News for Everyone” surprises with a big OMDesque chorus and a keyboard and drum backing. (One to watch for on the new record.) They follow with another newbie, “I hope everyone is cool with that” adds Jordan to the cheer of the crowd. Industrial styled drums meet up with a massive chorus and doubled vocals on every other verse couplet repeated over and over (I am the sugar!) until the final build to a poppy surge sans vocals and I see/hear them commit to a song more than any other time tonight and I am starting to get excited about the next disc.

Feedback squeals with a giant looping bass to bring in “Filler Is Wasted” but loses some momentum before picking back up, and the guy to the side is in a fist pumping state of euphoria. The collected may not be the largest of the night but they seem to be the most dedicated both on stage and off. Snowden close with the slow buzz and drifting vocal of “Victim Card” and it’s tom heavy thump until it unleashes a torrent of sound that seems like what I should want but I miss the melodies already.

Pausing for a dramatic second and apologies for a late school night, they encore with a nervous version of “Innocent Heathen” with added drum fills that nullify the beautiful chord change. They do hit the break but it doesn’t jell like I would hope with a new breakbeat vocal build and meandering guitar lines. However, the remaining hardy souls holler their approval at the kickstart of “Counterfeit Blues” and it’s herky jerky rhythm. They fire on all cylinders and make me happy that I stuck it out through thick and thin.

I walk out, pausing to compliment Rob as mentioned. My car is across the street: All alone and empty, but not for long.

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