Author: Sarah Haghi
The lights dimmed and in the midst of the cheering crowd, two perfectly synchronized saxophones pierced through the noise. After one riff, I already knew I was a fan of SPACE HEROES. Mark Guiliana, world renowned drummer, appeared at the Tractor Tavern on November 6th in the first performance of his tour with his newest musical group, SPACE HEROES. With bass player Chris Morrissey and two saxophonists, Jason Rigby and Mike Lewis, the group maintained solidarity in sound throughout the concert.
After performing a riff for about 30 seconds in sync, Mike Lewis took over in a long and passionate saxophone solo. In every song, Lewis had an irrefutable infatuation with his instrument. He played every solo with a spontaneity so wild that at multiple points, he was gasping for air and yet kept playing. The crowd roared with energy at these signs of struggle because of what it said about his arduous dedication to the sound. Then Jason Rigby would play a solo with his own completely unique approach to the instrument. With a calmer, more controlled kind of passion, Rigby managed to maintain clearly logical musical patterns and stayed true to the original riff of the song while fabricating beautiful musical additions of his own. Listening to his solos felt like true innovation with melodic calculations that insured he never lost his audience. Their completely contrasted styles made for constant captivation.
Meanwhile, Chris Morrissey stood with his upright bass behind them and was clearly in love with the sound of the whole band. You could see him mouthing out the beats and putting his head back, eyes closed. Intoxicated by the music they were making. While he only had one solo, his fervor made you crave to hear more.
From the very first song, Mark Guiliana played the drums with innovations that were so clearly the products of his own creativity. He had enchanted the audience by his first solo, evident through the exclamations the audience couldn’t hold in. He kept a sort of chaotic control over the whole group and never failed to tie the sound together. He kept the audience on our toes by never playing quite what was expected, while always remaining rhythmic and understandable as a musical language.
There was innovation not only in the way these musicians played, but also in what they played. Next to the saxophonists hung two long and colorful strings of plastic bottle caps. At one point late in the concert, Rigby and Lewis both grabbed one of these bottle cap shakers and used them as percussion. Then Guiliana took them and played the drums with the shakers as substitutes for sticks. They also sampled recordings from indistinguishable speeches in a Wax Tailor type experimental sound.
When the set was over and the band left the stage, the audience- mostly comprised of young 30 year old wearing long, sleek coats and drinking beer- cheered them back for an encore. With their off-beat and alternative twists on traditional jazz, SPACE HEROES is not an act to miss.
SARAH HAGHI | KXSU Promotions Director