Friday, April 18, 2008

observations

I can't say I didn't thouroughly enjoy Thursday's Ghostland Observatory performance at Mezzanine with my music fan pal Calvin. The house was sold-out to a convivial crowd, and the club is comfortable enough that waiting two hours through a dj set wasn't a big pain. It was the performance strength of this duo, notably singer Aaron Behrens, whose vocals and dancing reminded me of Mick Jagger crossed with Freddy Mercury fed through a lot of effect, more than the music that got me. They describe themselves as "electro dance soul rock," which is apt, as the show relies most on his singing to Thomas Ross Turner's synthesizer. Periodically, Behrens pulled out a guitar and Turner played a drum kit, but really this show owed itself to dj and club music not the Great American songbook or instrumentation of the traditional lot. I really didn't understand most of the lyrics but hey, the vocalization was interesting and Behrens can shake his money maker like no ones business, the crowd trying to follow his lead despite the packed conditions. Great light show too....alas, my heart was not touched.

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