Ghost Owl - the Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton - July 5

Ghost Owl

Friday, July 5, 2013

It's been said for years and years, by many, that first impressions are the most lasting. If that's the case, Ghost Owl will forever be fondly remembered anyone in attendance at the Funky Biscuit last Friday night.

The venue hosted the anticipated South Florida debut of Ghost Owl (comprised of Ex-Perpetual groove members), as well as the Sixth Anniversary celebration of Brotherly Love Productions who have done nothing but provide SoFla with a quality jam-scene for over half a decade. Friday didn't have the biggest turn out, but the love in the room was more than enough to fill up the Funky Biscuit that night.

See also

- Ghost Owl's Adam Perry on the Jam Scene, It "Felt Like You Were There with Everybody"

Opening act FREQ's performance was a pleasant surprise. An EDM duo, it's comprised of a drummer and a producer who travel all along the electronic music spectrum, and then some. It's extremely hard to classify them and what they play. It ranges from heavy grimy bass lines, to an extremely hip-hop influenced sound. At points, it reminded me of early 2000s De La Soul production, which is a very great thing. The drummer was a machine, never missing a beat, and just kept everything moving along beautifully.

Just as I was thinking they couldn't get more unique, the producer of the group picked up a microphone and laid down an impressive rap, highlighted by the line: "New car smell/a Japanese girl queefed in it."

As they were wrapping up, the Funky Biscuit had filled up some, but, again, not near capacity. It felt like it was mostly filled with long-time fans of P-Groove, looking to check up on old friends. Everybody was in a good mood, excited for these new sonic paths.

As soon as Ghost Owl took the stage, they owned it. Adam Perry, in his new role as lead vocalist, seemed completely at home. It was as if he'd been singing for the last ten years or so, a unique warm voice that I honestly didn't expect. At points, it reminded me of early '90s alt-grunge, but he sung over lush, beautiful arrangements ranging from EDM to heavy-anathematic rock 'n' roll. As well singing, he's also taken the helm of most of the synths and production aspects and handling bass duties. Multi-tasking doesn't even begin to describe what this man is doing on stage.

Speaking of roles switched up, Matt McDonald (who is now on guitar), was mind blowingly impressive. He has a master's in the instrument, and it shows. The tones he conjured up were just face-meltingly powerful. Never in a million years did you think they'd only been doing what they're doing for three months. Albert Suttle, is still firmly seated behind the drums, and everyone in the room benefits from it. Suttle is one of the most talented, hardest working drummers currently touring. The way he pounds on the drums, for as long as he does, the way he does, just strictly isn't human. I've seen him perform so many times over the years, and I never stop being impressed.

On this particular night, they performed three new songs for the first time ever. Each was different from the one prior. One was reminiscent of the Chemical Brothers, another was heavy in the stoner-rock realm. Just a completely unique experience.

The stage production didn't fail to impress either. Two projection screens, controlled by McDonald, displayed a huge array of visuals to the sounds of their instruments. The visuals were comprised of videos made mostly by the band itself and some close friends. They showed a psychedelic egg-man running across a rainbow colored background, black and white cartoons from the '40s, and filtered videos of children going down slides. It added a lot to the show as a whole, and wasn't distracting or obtrusive in the least bit.

As the show came to an end, everyone was on their feet, dancing as hard as they could. The energy was so positive; it accepted and celebrated this band's change. It was an intimate show perfect for those who truly wanted to experience something new. And if this is what Ghost Owl has to offer after only three months, a year from now they'll be blowing minds even further and definitely packing every room.