This whole CMJ madness is apparently a big deal, so last night we said “Hey, let’s go watch a musical concert and see what all the hype is about.” Stars aligned, and the Space Formerly Known as Supreme Trading (on North 8th near Roebling in the ‘Burg) hosted some acts we like front-back-and-side-to-side: Fool’s Gold, the label run by Chromeo lil’ bro and Kanye tour deejay A-Trak, hosted a showcase with a bunch of their Studio B regulars. Meanwhile, a monster billing of bands played a six-hour show in the bigger back room. We came for Home Video (think Radiohead but not, y’know, Radiohead) and Tigercity (Minus the Bear/Junior Boys/Napoleon Dynamite). We missed them both due to bad planning and the fact that our ears fell off during a set by Edmonton’s Shout Out Out Out Out (sic).
We don’t know what happened or who they sound like. All we remember is that there were two synchronized drummers with coordinated drumstick flair and at least four guitars, five keyboards, two samplers, and a couple extra guys jumping around onstage just in case. (Side note: One of the drummers bore a striking resemblance to Thomas Jane’s unrealistic son character on Hung.) The band transformed a spread-out, ho-hum crowd awaiting the headliners into a heaving mass of sweaty humanity smashed together in front of the stage.
Catch Shout Out Out Out Out tonight at Webster Hall (11:30pm) and/or Merc Lounge (2am), and probably all kinds of other places around town over the next week. Even money says they’re opening for Ghostland Observatory by next summer.
