Akron/Family @ Bowery Ballroom
Sunday, 10 May 2009 13:02
At most shows crowd participation seems forced. Some person stands up there asking you to wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care and honestly, you don’t. And it is painfully obvious. But with Akron/Family, the crowd is ready and more than willingly to join in.
William Parker’s Southern Satellites hit the stage at 8:45 to a surprisingly large crowd. The 8-piece band played one 15 minute song, which usually is not something I’m into, but the improvisational jazz/funk/Latin band kept my attention. It was probably because their set seemed to be completely improvisational and there’s something interesting about watching a musician’s brain work right in front of you.
Charlyne Yi came on next to tell a few jokes and play a few songs. Yi is better known as the stoner chick from Knocked Up, but her jokes tonight focused on psyching out the audience. First she fooled us into thinking she was wearing an engagement ring (her boyfriend is awkward boy du jour Michael Cera) when it was really just her keys. Next she pulled a double psyche by pretending she was wearing a wig, tugging at it to show she really wasn’t, and then pulling it off to reveal her own hair which looked surprisingly similar to the wig. “I know my hair looks totally different now,” she joked.
After nearly getting electrocuted by the mic she sang a few cute songs. One was about ghosts which led her to do a spot-on Jimmy Durante impression, which seemed to go over most of the crowd’s head. Apparently they’ve never seen the Christmas classic, Frosty the Snowman. Another was a song about leaving an abusive boyfriend (a lot less serious than it sounds.) Her voice was a lot like Whispertown 2000’s Morgan Nadler, a little rough around the edges, but quirky and perfect for her folk style. She also showed she wasn’t fooling around with the whole music thing by switching from the guitar to the keyboard and a mini harp- yes, a mini harp.
The minute the signature flag- an American flag with a hippie tie dyed patch where the stars would usually be- came down the crowd was ready to see Akron/Family. The indefinable trio started out in the front of the stage gathered around one of those old fashioned radio mics for “They Will Appear.” With perfect harmonies and the pitter patter of raindrops the beginning started off soothing until it launched into this cacophony of horns and percussion along with a good ol’ fashioned sing along, a common result of each song.
“River” (one of my favorites) got people clapping and stomping but most of the crowd still seemed to be in awe. "Is everyone okay out there," Miles Seaton asked. “You all seemed to be just staring at us. Clap your hands, stomp your feet..” And they did just that from then on.
The night focused on their new album Set ’Em Wild, Set ’Em Free, but it was the fan favorite “Ed is a Portal” that got everybody really moving. The older song with its tribal chants and bombastic beats followed by the electronicy “Creatures” showcased each end of the Akron/Family spectrum. “Everyone is Guilty” with it’s jumpy beat and superb use of the cowbell ushered in an extra long jam session. Even though the meandering can get a little grating with some bands, these guys know when to say enough is enough.
“Sun Will Shine (Warmth of the Sunship Version)” leads up to a revamped version of the New Year’s classic, “Auld Lang Syne,” showcasing the flautist, the saxophonists and the trumpet players. It also gave the guys a chance to get back to where they started the night: the far corner of the stage huddled around the mic for “Last Year.” The album closer repeats the words, “Last year was a hard year for a such a long time/ This year’s gonna be ours.” Everyone joined in and by the end Seaton, Seth Olinsky and Dana Janssen had turned the mics towards the crowd letting the fans take full reign of the song. “You guys have great voices,” Seaton said. “When we make it big we’ll bring you all out with us.” I’m sure many would take them up on that since their fans not only sing along they take creative license adding in their own harmonies. I give those people an A+ for effort. Execution? Well that wouldn't be so high.
There was no real encore in the traditional sense. They never left the stage instead they just played “Woody Guthrie’s America" and "Crickets." At the end of "Crickets" they made their way into the crowd for a jam session. Right after they ended the crowd seemed confused to what they should do. Of course with a random shout of “Dance Party!” the disco ball came down and the house music started up like we were in some bizarre version of Footloose.
- Shannon Carlin
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
