Live Footage, EMEFE, and Superhuman Happiness
March 29, 2013
Last Friday, I was at Superhuman Happiness’ album release show for their long-awaited full-length debut, Hands and Live Footage and EMEFE were the openers. And if you add the fact that my birthday was the day before, it was naturally quite a celebratory occasion. I didn’t take any formal notes for this one – i was having way too much fun shaking my ass with everyone else, than actually writing but I have a ton of impressions and thoughts that I remembered.
- Live Footage consisted of a duo of an electric cellist who played his cello through an array of looping and effect pedals, and a drummer who also played keyboards through a looping pedal too. The first song of their set was completely improvised while the rest of the songs from their set came from an album that the band is working on, as well as some previously released material. Sonically, their sound alternated at times between drone and trance, and had a gorgeous, shimmering, ethereal feel.
- I’ve seen EMEFE a couple of times and they’ve been remarkably consistent – they bring it with an Expensive Shit/He Miss Road-era Fela sound. Although, their sound isn’t the most original sound I’ve heard – in fact, I can probably think of several bands with a similar sound – but they can play, and they play with an infectious exuberance that makes their set really fun. “Good Future” off their new album is funky as hell, if you ask me… Not only did they invite people to dance on stage with them, they jumped into the crowd, and played with the crowd cheering them on.
- Superhuman Happiness, the night’s headliner decided to go big. In fact they decided to go as big as humanly possible with about 20 different people on the stage. We’re talking backing singers – including fellow Brooklynite Kalmia Traver of Rubblebucket; the entire horn line from EMEFE, and another fellow Brooklynite, Alex Toth of Rubblebucket; one of the guys from Live Footage, and a host of others. Of course, that required some playful rearrangements to the material – – while being relatively faithful to the recordings. But they got the entire room going along with them and that was incredible.
Live Footage
EMEFE
Superhuman Happiness
For these photos and the rest of the photos from this incredible night of music, check out the Flickr set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yankee32879/sets/72157633162594740/