Show Review: Other Lives @ The Mohawk (6.11)
Thursday had the ATH crew out in full swing to catch a night of great music and good times at The Mohawk. Early door times had openers taking the stage with the sun not quite yet set, but that didn’t deter Dark Rooms and Riothorse Royale from providing entertaining sets to a growing crowd for headliners Other Lives.
If you weren’t there for this night of stunning tunes, sucks to suck, but read on to see just what you missed out on. Or if you were lucky enough to be there, relive the night and click through some rad photos by the ineffable B.Gray.
Dark Rooms from Dallas started the night out with the mostly violin centered electro pop from Daniel Hart, who also is part of the Other Lives lineup. Their set of percussive electro pop delighted early show comers and the looping of violin sounds on some tracks was done quite well. Next was Riothorse Royale, who to me, sounded in the live setting like a mix between Warpaint and Dum Dum Girls. Their indie rock and dueling vocals held the crowd’s attention for the most part.
While I was undoubtedly excited to catch Other Lives in support of their latest record, Rituals, something about the evening of music hadn’t really set in until the band took to the stage and began to play hit after overwhelmingly transfixing hit from this new album as well as a great deal of songs from 2011’s Tamer Animals. In the live setting, this band is phenomenal: tracks that seemed subtle on the new record were fully fleshed out and prominent, while older and already huge tracks became even bigger (looking at you, timpani). This vast and incredible live sound is owed to the dynamism of every member of the band. Often in the course of a single song, any given member plays at least three instruments while providing some sort of vocal contribution as well. Not only does this make the sound big and beautiful, but it creates an air of extreme devotion from each member as they throw all their energy and focus into the music they’re playing.
Of course frontman Jesse Tabish, with his lion’s mane and smoky vocals, added another level of enchantment to the stage. With each cinematic and film noir score-esque track the band played, Tabish threw his whole body into the song, stomping his feet to the beat and occasionally, when he had a free hand, letting his fingers wave through the air as if casting a spell. And I, as well as the rest of the crowd, seemed to be captured by this well balanced mix of new and old while the extra added light bulbs around the stage flashed on and off with the beat. I especially enjoyed early in the set “Easy Way Out,” as well as “Pattern” from the new record, and “Desert” and set closer “Dust Bowl III,” but really none of the tracks were less than great. We were even treated to an old gem, “Black Tables” during the encore.
If you ever have the chance to see these gentlemen, take it. Trust.
