09 January, 2007

Sun Gods Rock '06

I had few expectations for my last concert of 2006. Despite the fact that Apollo Sunshine is one of my favorite bands, I’ve been disappointed by their shows in the past. Yet, I can honestly say that this last show was the best I’d seen all year. There was an atmosphere of excited expectation; the crowd was ready, and as the music progressed more people parted ways with their egos and unabashedly screamed the lyrics.


Opening ska band, Captain Mojo and the Cat’s Pajamas rocked the local crowd and inspired an impromptu skanking circle. Their music was undeniably fun and they play their instruments well, an uncommon talent in young ska bands. Baker followed Captain Mojo, and although new to most of the crowd, they certainly deserved every approving shout they received (quite a few.) A lone beat-boxer performed before the headliners, and despite his lukewarm welcome, boxed formidably. I was more than pleasantly surprised by the talent of all these artists, so when Apollo Sunshine graced the stage with their massive presence I was pretty excited.


Apollo Sunshine can put on a show. Starting with fan favorites “Phoney Marony” and “Today is the Day,” the crowd quickly acclimated to the sound and danced throughout the show (even improvising their way through lengthy guitar, keyboard, and drum solos.) Jesse Gallagher, Sam Cohen, and Jeremy Black played many songs from their first album, Katonah, including “I Was On The Moon,” “The Egg,” and “Mayday Disorder.” After an amazing set, the boys returned to play an encore that probably lasted twenty minutes. This consisted of three songs from their latest self-titled CD, “Eyes,” “Lord,” and “Phyliss.” For their final song Apollo Sunshine were joined onstage by many guests including all of Baker. The multiple musicians gathered around the drum set, banging on percussion instruments, throwing guitars, and adding to the chaos that is “Phyliss.” When the lights turned on, the crowd seemed in a musical coma, we slowly found our bearings and our jackets, and trudged into the cool night air.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Awesome post concert description...haha I gotta catch Apollo Sunshine when they come to NY area.