Image courtesy of lessthan3.com
My criteria for picking shows to attend and cover was not “I have been listening to this artist for a long time, I love them, I am obsessed with them, let’s go!” When looking through upcoming shows at nearby venues, I gave all artists a few seconds to grab my attention through their music. Regardless of whether or not I had heard of them before or if they were what I “typically” listen to, if I felt they were talented at their craft I wanted to see their show. I have now been to three concerts, three very different concerts. I have been to an upbeat alternative band, a mellow singer/songwriter and last night I attended my first electric/EDM concert. So let me tell you about this night.
I had the chance to see Wingtip, Sweater Beats and Giraffage in concert at the Showbox on 1st Ave last Thursday and their music was unlike anything I have ever experienced live. The artists use what is called a MIDI controller to manipulate different sounds, beats, and songs into music of their own. In the early days, MIDI was used to connect all sorts of external hardware boxes (synths, sequencers, samplers and the like), but if you’re a computer music newcomer, all you really need to know is that it enables you to send input information directly from your controller to your computer. And these days, you don’t even need to buy any special hardware in order to connect a MIDI device—the vast majority of controllers on the market can be hooked up to your Mac or PC using a USB connection. Knowing they were putting on such an impressive show with their computer as their man instrument was very cool.
Image Courtesy of trnscndntsounds
Despite the fact that all three men used the same technique to create music, they all had very different sounds. Wingtip came on first, and the crowd was thin. He compiled together unique sounds and beats, creating tension and suspension but with not much of a melody. This wasn’t a bad thing, and those of us in the crowd enjoyed it. He was very thankful for the crowd’s energy and had a lot of fun on stage.
Sweater Beats came up next and played music that many of the audience members knew like “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man and “Say My Name” by Odesza—the catch, however was how he played with the songs to turn them into something different. This music I had an easier time getting into because I knew the melodies, and the crowd grew in size and energy as his set went on.
Giraffage came on and the whole venue went dark. The stage lit up with big rings and bright colors as he began his performance. The visuals were my favorite part of his music because they were so in sync with the beats and very aesthetically pleasing. The music was so loud and my senses were so overwhelmed that there was no space in my brain left to think about anything other than the music and the moment. It was such a different scene than I expected, but I am glad I had the chance to experience it. When I was feeling overwhelmed by how much was going on around me, I tried to watch Giraffage closely to see if I could hear the individual sounds he was adding and manipulating to the songs as he moved his hands across the equipment. It is hard to imagine how much work, dedication, time and commitment goes into making music like he did last night, and the more I think about it, the crazier it seems. Every note, every word, every beat and every silence was perfectly timed and planned by Giraffage to create a feeling, a movement, an experience for himself and his audience.
I am very thankful that KXSU has given me the opportunity to experience new music and experience it live.
Check out Giraffage on Spotify, if you want to be as impressed as me.
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