Univox and Ishmael @ The Lovin’ Cup

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Friday, 25 September 2009 11:53

This past Tuesday, Philadelphia’s own punk rock band, Univox, played a show in Brooklyn. The art-gallery-newly-turned-venue seemed like a secret location upon entry. Located behind The Lovin’ Cup (and when I say “behind,” I mean past the restrooms and down three different curtain blocked hallways) it seemed that the only people who knew about the show were friends of the bands.

Opening for Univox was a band of four 19-year-olds that call themselves Ishmael. The group was impressive and upon entry, it wasn’t obvious at all that they were the opening band. The audience, composed of about twenty students and parents, seemed to all be there together.

Ishmael exhibited talent through guitar, bass, and drums. The vocals, however, were what made the performance. At times, it sounded as though the lead singer was part of an opera or a musical, but the background music kept the performance punk rock.

When Ishmael ended their set, most of the audience emptied out. Unfortunately, those who left missed out on hearing Univox perform. Among those who stayed were the bartender, the band’s publicist and assistant, the sound guy, Ishmael, myself, and my friend, Buck. Some other people came and went. “Yeah, if you could all just spread out, that’d be great!” Univox joked about the show’s turnout.

The four members of Univox then began to play. Despite the small audience, they played with as much energy as any band would at a sold-out venue. It felt as though the band was playing an exclusive show. The movement and volume in every song was powering, but the most impressive were the drumming and the vocals. All four members harmonized with repetitive chants and hums. The drummer, wearing a long, white dress, played with incredible speed and forcefulness. The drumming solos were incredible and drew my attention to not only listen but to watch him, as well.

While a couple of people were dancing around, Buck and I sat on the side of the stage. He had just gotten off crutches so despite the urge to join in, we watched Univox’s performance sitting down. I could picture venues being filled with people rocking out to their songs in the future. It was a unique experience, to say the least; even if there wasn’t that many people there to experience it.

-Lauren Hafley