CONCERT REVIEW: Local bands get spotlight at Skyline
I don’t know if you’re aware, but the local music scene, up until now has consisted of small shows at Gotta Lotta Pizza or that time The Indigo Girls came to Utah State about three years ago. Unfortunately, I missed that one. I’m sure I had to work or something. Other than that, about your only other option was to come over to my house and listen to people scream into the microphone into the wee hours of the morning.
Wednesday, Jan. 15 I attended a show at the Club Skyline. The show, which was produced by Logan-based Buttered Bacon Music featured four Utah bands: The Prozac Kids, from Layton; Life in Mute, from Logan; Kill Cupid, from Kaysville; and Nobody Special from Logan. The show was the first in a series aimed at promoting the growth of local music.
All four bands played loud and hard, but I’m proud to say that Logan did the best job. Life in Mute and Nobody Special were able to excite the crowd and get them interested in what they were doing. Not always an easy thing when you’re a member of an unknown band with unknown songs.
The Prozac Kids, made up of Ryan Jones on lead guitar and vocals, Tysha Almond on electric violin, Ben Baird on bass, and Chris Iarussr on drums were an interesting break from the norm. The band really is a violin, rather than guitar-driven band. Tysha’s powerful violin overshadowed what the other three band members were doing. At times it sounds symphonic, at times rock ‘n’ roll. It’s worth noting that Ben’s bass was far more prominent than the lead guitar which is rare in rock ‘n’ roll.
Life in Mute, which features Heather Conover on bass and lead vocals, Shannon Murdock on lead guitar and vocals and Sean Spackman on drums, were impressive. Heather stands at about 5-foot-1, but her energy was very high. On “Look Before You Leap,” their second song, her voice wails with intensity. At one point she put her guitar behind her back and played. They did a cover of Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” which was faster and harder than the original, and I might add, more fun.
Kill Cupid (meaning the reindeer not the cherub) describes themselves as indie-emo core music. I don’t really know what that means, but Robby at bass and vocals, Nick on drums and vocals, and Ryan on lead guitar played hard and fast through a five-song set that featured a foreboding guitar intro on “Lava Proof Helicopter.” They had a lot of energy, and good stage presence, but Robby ,who really has a pretty good voice, at times screamed his way through verses that could have been better if he would have toned it down a bit.
Nobody Special headlined the show and was the best band of the night. They combined humor with musical talent to keep the crowd excited in the third hour of the show. All four members of the band are students at USU. I asked Chidz, the lead singer, what his major was. His response was, “Impressing freshman girls.” I asked them if being in a band helped to get girls. According to Nobody Special it has no effect whatsoever. Jarom Bischoff, their Drummer o’ Fury, said he would take Megaman over women any day.
Chidz added, “Nintendo doesn’t break your heart.”
I asked them if there was anything interesting or different about their band. They eat Pixie Stix before every show. The sugar high worked for them Wednesday, because their energy was high and contagious. Dummer, the “heart throb” of the band, did a fantastic job on bass, and Jason Enger did some fine guitar work. Despite their silliness, they are able to say some things that I think we can all relate to. In one song, Chidz, who took off his shirt, making his third nipple visible to everyone, sang, “Sometimes you don’t know how much you don’t love someone until they’re gone.” Later in the song he sings, “Now that she’s gone I feel so much more alone, but frankly, I don’t care.”
Nobody Special was the highlight. You could tell they enjoy performing. Jarom played with such enthusiasm he broke all his drumsticks. After their set was over, the crowd chanted, “One more song. One more song.” Jarom responded that they didn’t have any more songs. At that point the chant changed to, “Make one up. Make one up.” So Nobody Special played their first encore performance to some very satisfied new fans.
This show was a lot of fun. I recommend checking out Buttered Bacon Music’s next concert in February, featuring Trick Seven from Vernal, and Hudson River School, who opened for Jimmy Eat World last year.
Jared Quillen is a junior majoring in accounting. Comments can be sent to jaredquillen@cc.usu.edu.