ComfortComes

Trail of Dead/Midnight Masses Live at Bowery Ballroom (2/28/09)

Dragon’s of Zynth’s Autry Rene Fulbright, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead’s Jason Reece came together in early 2008, when Fulbright’s father fell ill. It was through tragedy that Midnight Masses formed and their songs are complimented by the work of Destiny Montague of Shock Cinema, Miyuki Furtago of Roger Sisters, Santogold touring guitarist Eric Rodgers, and Giselle Reiber. Their haunting single, “Heaven,” opened the set with ethereal harmonies that seemed to induce the crowd into a trance-like state. It was absolutely breathtaking… the passion and power that one song encompassed. The collaborative talent of these amazing musicians radiated through the use of different instruments to create an incredibly unique sound. “The great part about this whole tour is just playing with friends,” Fulbright explained before performing a song dedicated to his mother. An EP is currently in the works for a summer release and an LP will hopefully be ready for the fall.

These Brooklyn punk rockers brought out a sound I definitely haven’t heard live in quite some time. Brothers Alex and Ryan Levine, along with stepbrother Zach Staggers, were raised together in Brooklyn while guitarist Matt Elkin, the only non-related member, completes The So So Glos. Now, I assumed the proverbial big apple put it’s traditional punk roots on life support, but the Glos proved me wrong. Punk is most definitely pumping blood through the veins of this city. “Throw Your Hands Up” stays true to those garage punk, Clash-inspired roots and was instantaneously a crowd pleaser with the refrain “throw your hands up Deejay, we are verbal shotgun shells/You better change your up your rotation/War on the radio.” The band’s anti-establishment messages didn’t cease there – “We Got The Days” brought on a comedic political message with front man Alex howling to “Stick the revolution to the bathroom stall!” The Glos thought provoking music highly encouraged audience participation – dancing, clapping, screaming. The raw sound and catchy chanting chorus in “Execution” immediately caught my attention, but “Underneath the Universe,” the last track off their sophomore album (which was printed/recorded on environmentally friendly materials) “Tourism/Terrorism,” was a show stealer. This critic is convinced that punk never went anywhere… it’s just been hanging out in Brooklyn for awhile.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. Any band that plays Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” before their set totally earns an A+. They kicked off the set with “Giants Causeway” and the first three tracks off the new album soon followed, but the show in it’s entirety was on cue and consistent. “We’re going to play the songs twice as fast for those who were at last nights show,” frontman Conrad Keely exclaimed. Adrenaline was flowing through the crowd and a mosh “circle” (if I may) formed almost immediately and soon they were intertwining the old with the new starting with “Homage” and the piano-driven single “Bells of Creation.” The members of Midnight Masses graced the stage yet again and shared their incredible vocal talents in “The Century of Self” but nothing compares to the explosive percussion in “Relative Ways” – brains had to be splattered on the walls. Keely’s hand was a blur during their second to last song of night, “Totally Natural.” The set ended with “Another Morning Stoner” but their one song encore is what truly made the entire night worthwhile – never mind Keely mentioning that “after the show we’re all going to get on buses and we’re all going to eat milk and cookies.” They picked up their weapons and took the stage by storm one final time for the night. I don’t think Jason Reece could have picked a better time to leap into the crowd than during “Caterwaul,” clutching the mic in hand and swimming on a sea of fans. Energy was pumping through the speakers, walls and the crowd – it lingered in the air as everyone returned to the cold city streets. It was truly a night to be remembered.