The Audience w/ The Rest, Noah Kussack, Terrordactyl, and What
12/17/05 @ The Beta Bar, Tallahassee FL

With the amount of material that has accumulated over the years for FE, I found it surprising to look back and realize that though we’ve done hundreds of record reviews, we never gave due attention to the live performances that make up the heart of the scene. Hopefully this is something we will address as our resurgence continues. In the meantime, Paul and I decided to each attend shows featuring lesser known artists on the same weekend. His review from Ithica, NY can be found elsewhere on the site. As for myself, I ventured out in the torrential rains of the North Florida winter and caught a few of Tallahassee’s young musicians at the former Cow Haus, long a haven for independent music in the Capital city.

The doors opened at 9pm, at which time I was informed by the bartender that Yueng Ling bottles would be on special until 11. It was as though her words were a siren song to me, as only hours removed from stating I would never partake in the sweet nectar of the gods again there I was with a bottle in hand. The ingestion of these fluids I assure you did not hamper my judgment of the music’s quality, though it did have a frightful impact on the legibility of the notes I jotted down throughout the evening.

After exchanging greetings with the night’s headlining act, I situated myself on the stadium seating that adorns the back wall of the establishment and prepared for the first act to take the stage.

At 9:49pm, three young looking women took the stage and proceeded to begin their sound check. They called themselves “What”, and appeared to have some difficulty with the sound check process. I inquired whether it was their first show, and have since learned that though that was not the case, they are a very young band. Their inexperience would again become evident in their performance, which began with a very Sabbath sounding opening song and wandered throughout the duration of the set. Though my criticism of their greenness may come across as biting, I do not mean to imply their set was all bad. They seemed to relax as they went on, and the sound tightened up as a result. The final song, “Virgo” according to my notes, was actually quite good and if an indication of where these ladies are headed I think that with more practice and experience they will turn out to be a welcome addition to Tallahassee’s growing music scene.

Up next at 10:45 was another new act going by the name of Terrordactyl. Though their set was short as this was only their third show, there was no indication of a lack of musical identity or tightness. Terrordactyl can best be described as an all out assault of organized chaos. Fast clangy guitars and vocals that moved seamlessly between singing and screaming, this band compares favorably to the offspring that would be created if Off Minor and Nakatomi Plaza were to join in an orgy of rockness and spew out a bastard child. I look forward to hearing much more from these guys in the future.

At 11:19, Noah Kussack took the stage. Those familiar with Tallahassee punk rock will know Noah from his time in Drake Equation. Musically, comparisons can be drawn to Lifetime or Kid Dynamite, but with more of a Rock n’ Roll influence than hardcore as those two bands were known for. Another comparison could be drawn to former Tallahassee band Habitat Against Humanity, except they did not appear to share Habitat’s penchant for destroying equipment on stage. The onstage banter between band members helped to draw in the crowd, and overall they played an energetic and fun set. For one song, bassist and drummer switched spots and they proceeded to play a very good song that was reminiscent of Bear vs. Shark or newer Hot Water Music. At the end of the set, it was announced that the aforementioned bassist would be moving away, so whether this was their final performance I cannot say. If true, it would be a shame.

Up next, The Rest took the stage at midnight and provided a change of pace. The Rest is a female fronted four piece and played a very tight set accentuated by haunting vocals. I wrote in my notes that they reminded me of a female Inside, though in reflection I don’t think that comparison is valid. Although the vocals were reminiscent of those found on Inside’s My Funeral I think the parallels end there. That is of course not meant to demean The Rest in anyway. The guitarist was impressive, and the rhythm section did a fine job as well.

Finally, at 1am the audience took the stage. In fairness to our readers, I should note that it would be hard for me not to show any bias in review of this band, especially when it is noted that 24 hours previous to this performance I could be found vomiting in the woods behind the house where they practice. However, luckily for me they are very talented and make it possible for me to be honest when I report that they played an excellent set. Propelled by the driving rhythms of bassist Joe Duncan and drummer Kelli Swernigan, and complimented by the skillful guitar playing of Jeremy Ferris and vocals of Brandy Marder the audience’s sound is one that would fit in well with the days of mid-90’s alternative rock. In a scene that has become inundated with nu-emo bands who spend more time applying their eye makeup than writing good music, the originality and attention to songwriting is a welcome breath of fresh air. On stage, it becomes apparent that this is a group of musicians who truly love what they do and it comes across in their stage presence drawing you in as the music rocks you out. Highlights of the set include “Brand New”, an emotional and powerful song and “Certain Circumstance”.

As always, I encourage everyone to get out themselves and support your local music scene. As we get older, and I know I’m especially guilty of this, it becomes easy to simply wait for better known acts to come into town but without support, the music dies and we end up with a boy band resurgence. I’m not dealing with an N’Sync reunion so support your local independent music. Thank you.