Kamtin Mohager
02/17/05, 10:37 AM
The Secret Machines w/ Moving Units and Autolux @ the Fox Theatre on February 11th in Boulder, CO
www.thesecretmachines.com
www.movingunits.net
www.autolux.org
The Secret Machines have become one of the biggest rock band's to come out of New York (originally from Texas, though) since The Strokes, with the release of their debut album, Now Here Is Nowhere. The trio -- containing brothers Brandon and Ben Curtis, and drummer Josh Garza -- arrived to a packed Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO. The energy in the air was obvious as I knew I'd be in for a treat.
Autolux was the first band to hit the stage. Reading a lot about the band in various publications, I was pretty excited to see what they could do. Containing a very dreamy sound to their music, Autolux comes off as a mix between Pavement and really old Verve material. Their energy on stage was nothing great, as they would just stand there and play. But watching the drummer play was very entertaining. Giving off the same persona as Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, she had a lot of energy behind the drum kit that allowed the audience to enjoy the set a little more. Definitely a band with promise, but I'm not too sure how long they could last.
It seemed that a large number of the crowd in attendance were fans of the Moving Units. I heard good things about their live set prior to the show, but I never got around to actually becoming a fan of the music. But hey, what if they had an amazing live show and that turned me into a fan? Well, the time finally came as the band took their places. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. The band was tight and gave off a lot of energy, but there was something about it that made me lose interest almost immediately. I lost so much interest, that I walked out and hit the bar.
After a few drinks, I arrived back to the floor to see The Secret Machines equipment all set up. With huge lights surrounding the stage, glasses of wine poured for each band member, and the sideways drum kit, I knew that I was going to be in for something. The classy band graced the stage jumping right into "Sad and Lonely," the grooviest track on their record. My jaw instantly dropped as I honestly became hypnotized by the band's music and energy. Defining what rock n' roll is supposed to be, the Secret Machines pounded out song after song with such grace. "Lights On" got the crowd moving as the band somehow managed to give all their energy to every single person in the crowd. The bouncy bass line got everybody moving as I stared in amazement as to how flawless the band's performance was. Along with the amazing sound, the light show that supported the band made the experience even better. Making the environment perfect, every single person in attendance was having a great time. "Road Leads Where It's Led" was one of my favorite songs of the night. Being one of the best tracks off the record, it just carried so much more when played live. After a mind-blowing set, the band arrived back from the encore closing the night with "Nowhere Again." With the crowd moving, lights shining and the band playing, everyone knew that this was one of the best shows they've seen. If I could go see the Secret Machines every single night for the next year, I would definitely do it. This is a band with so much promise. With an amazing album under their belts, and a spine-chilling live show, there's no possible way that this band won't last.
**** (4/5)
www.thesecretmachines.com
www.movingunits.net
www.autolux.org
The Secret Machines have become one of the biggest rock band's to come out of New York (originally from Texas, though) since The Strokes, with the release of their debut album, Now Here Is Nowhere. The trio -- containing brothers Brandon and Ben Curtis, and drummer Josh Garza -- arrived to a packed Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO. The energy in the air was obvious as I knew I'd be in for a treat.
Autolux was the first band to hit the stage. Reading a lot about the band in various publications, I was pretty excited to see what they could do. Containing a very dreamy sound to their music, Autolux comes off as a mix between Pavement and really old Verve material. Their energy on stage was nothing great, as they would just stand there and play. But watching the drummer play was very entertaining. Giving off the same persona as Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, she had a lot of energy behind the drum kit that allowed the audience to enjoy the set a little more. Definitely a band with promise, but I'm not too sure how long they could last.
It seemed that a large number of the crowd in attendance were fans of the Moving Units. I heard good things about their live set prior to the show, but I never got around to actually becoming a fan of the music. But hey, what if they had an amazing live show and that turned me into a fan? Well, the time finally came as the band took their places. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. The band was tight and gave off a lot of energy, but there was something about it that made me lose interest almost immediately. I lost so much interest, that I walked out and hit the bar.
After a few drinks, I arrived back to the floor to see The Secret Machines equipment all set up. With huge lights surrounding the stage, glasses of wine poured for each band member, and the sideways drum kit, I knew that I was going to be in for something. The classy band graced the stage jumping right into "Sad and Lonely," the grooviest track on their record. My jaw instantly dropped as I honestly became hypnotized by the band's music and energy. Defining what rock n' roll is supposed to be, the Secret Machines pounded out song after song with such grace. "Lights On" got the crowd moving as the band somehow managed to give all their energy to every single person in the crowd. The bouncy bass line got everybody moving as I stared in amazement as to how flawless the band's performance was. Along with the amazing sound, the light show that supported the band made the experience even better. Making the environment perfect, every single person in attendance was having a great time. "Road Leads Where It's Led" was one of my favorite songs of the night. Being one of the best tracks off the record, it just carried so much more when played live. After a mind-blowing set, the band arrived back from the encore closing the night with "Nowhere Again." With the crowd moving, lights shining and the band playing, everyone knew that this was one of the best shows they've seen. If I could go see the Secret Machines every single night for the next year, I would definitely do it. This is a band with so much promise. With an amazing album under their belts, and a spine-chilling live show, there's no possible way that this band won't last.
**** (4/5)