Saturday night we caught Sam Mickens and his Ecstatic Showband & Revue and Chat Logs at Silent Barn. We unfortunately had to split before Aa took the stage, but word is they put on a great set.
The show started off with Island's Eyelids, aka Josiah Wolfson, but we only caught a split second of his set as we arrived.
Sam Mickens and his band followed, living up to their name with a set that was indeed ecstatic and quite a show. The group ran through the exceptional set of original art-soul tunes that Mickens has been showcasing around New York for the past year or so. The lineup varies from show to show based on the availability of the skilled players that Mickens employs, but he always pulls together an awesome band, and drummer Mike Pride regularly lays down the beats while Mickens croons in his semi-otherworldly way. The set build to a rousing climax, with Mickens disappearing at the end and returning with his face dripping blood to conclude his regular closer, "One Final Round."
Sam Mickens and his band play again tonight at Union Hall with Callers and People Get Ready.
Chat Logs played their first show just a few months back at the Whitney Museum. Silent Barn's kitchen-turned-stage was surely a very different setting, but they still put together a forceful display of experimental electronics and entrancing visuals. Ryan Downie lead things, switching between modified electronic toys, synth, guitar and a variety of other gadgets, while one of his cohorts manipulated the videos and another augmented the droning, engulfing sound with a sampler, bass guitar and more. Putting together an enjoyable noisy set on such a hot and sweaty July night was a difficult feat, but Chat Logs succeeded, finishing up just as it felt like things might have started to get irritating.
Sam Mickens:
Chat Logs:
Sam Mickens & His Ecstatic Showband & Revue at Monster Island, October 23, 2009 by (((unartig))):
Chat Logs - "Times Square":
