Bassnectar Nov. 13th, 09

Walking through the city on a rainy night can sometimes surprise you. When you think your night is over something else to do justs pops up. This is what happened on the way to Union Square on Friday. Who new that San Francisco based music project slash social experimentation Bassnectar was playing the Fillmore. The show went till two in the morning, so getting there just after midnight meant that Bassnactar had just took the stage. It is hard to see what this dance music is trying to accomplish because it takes on so much. Using some electronic methods to manipulate baselines of all speeds and from almost any source. Name a type of music and it might be mixed in, Rock, Blues, even Salsa. Then don't forget other styles brought in like Rap, Ska and Dub. The place was packed and whatever this music is it does a good job of keeping the kids dancing.

Isis Fillmore (Irving Plaza) June 2nd 09

The Fillmore (Irving Plaza) hosted Bostons heavy Band Isis on Tuesday night. Missing the opener but not the film during the break. This Visual distraction to the time between bands was extremely interesting. With puppets, hamsters, and a whole bag of tricks using stop animation sequences. Then the band descended on to the stage. First the keyboardist(Bryant Clifford Meyer) was a melodic background on the first song. Then He picked up the guitar and made the band sound change, louder, fuller. The mix of songs where he went back and forth was just right. With one Aaron (Aaron Harris) on drums and another (Aaron Turner) on lead the A's have it. The crowd seemed to get the sprawling, atmospheric mood. Some moshing down stairs, head banging upstairs, mostly entranced by Isis's dark spell. This band has a fair amount of albums to chose from, all as strange and ambitious as the band on stage. Boston will never seem the same in my mind. Never thought such a Original hard heavy band could come from Bean Town.