The Appleseed Cast is one of the few bands that has never let me down. Last night’s performance at the Canopy Club proved yet again that they weren’t about to start.
This was the fifth or sixth time I’ve seen these guys, and I’ve noticed more and more that the Cast is truly a musicians’ band. Watching the crowd is almost a rock show in itself. Air drumming abounds. Jealous guitar players (myself included) watch the band with hungry eyes, trying to figure out how the leads are played, what effects are being used, and how all of those swirling, cloudy atmospheres of sound could possibly be produced by four completely normal-looking dudes. For me, trying to understand the music I’m witnessing becomes part of the performance. The band seems to bring all of the complexity and painstakingly precise aspects of classical composition into a raw, energy-driven rock realm. The effect leaves you standing powerless and in a state of nirvana, taking in an hour-long series of crescendos. The music lives and breathes.
One of the things that really stood out to me at last night’s show was the number of instrumental songs the band played. From each of the sets I had seen them play previously, I had come to expect at least one or two instrumental songs per show, but last night I counted four or five. For just about any other band, this would be the kiss of death for a crowd’s energy. Yet, for some reason, it really worked for the Appleseed Cast. Their ability to stand behind their music like this was remarkably impressive and true testament to the endless talent and musicianship within the band. These instrumental breaks helped to highlight and reenergize lead singer Chris Crisci’s vocals when it became time for him to erupt on songs like “February” and “Steps and Numbers.”
The Appleseed Cast have been true to themselves and their fans since the very beginning. Whether or not this is something that has held them back is difficult to say. Obviously, there is a fairly niche market for seven-minute-long all-instrumental songwriting. At the same time, the Cast have written some fantastically catchy and musical tunes throughout their ten-year career - just look at songs like “February” and “Fight Song.” This unwillingness to compromise is the reason that some of the bolder critics have compared this band to Radiohead. As blasphemous as this once seemed to me and, undoubtedly, countless others, watching the Appleseed Cast’s growth and reinvention of themselves over the last several years has brought me to full agreement that this band has the potential to rise to a similar level.
If you haven’t heard the Appleseed Cast, you can check them out on their Website or their Myspace. If you dig the music, buy a record. If any band needs and deserves it, it’s these guys.
Here’s some more pictures I adoringly and not uncreepily took of them last night.
Matt Klomparens: Lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbor.
Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first to comment on this post...
Add your comment
the217
Buzz Magazine
Matt Klomparens
Lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbor.