Low Level Laser Radiation, JJXP, Michael Collins, Garrett Johnson, Bubbly Mommy Gun, Telethon, Sumsun, Yahtzee Guy
Little Munich, Lake Worth
January 21, 2012
Better than: Not liking slam poetry, sticking around, and then realizing that you do.
Two guys walk into a German bar at the request of a mutual friend (this lady right here). Said mutual friend orders an authentic sauerkraut dish while the two guys order their beers. They look up to see a stage at the far end of the room. One of the two guys exclaims, "Hey, is that Weezer?"
The person they're referring to happens to be the very talented Nelson Hallonquist, performing under the moniker of Low Level Lazer Radiation. Wearing blackish framed glasses does little to avert a geek-rock comparison. Although, a true scenester would know that Rivers Cuomo and company are somewhere in international waters right now.
We can't help to think that at some point, the two guys -- our friends who made the Weezer jab, who also admittedly hit up the Miami club scene every "normal" weekend -- will begin to wonder whether their two-sizes-too-small T-shirts are socially accepted among the vast sea of skinny jeans present during Friday night's show. Quite the ironic dichotomy.
We notice our Miami "friends" step out somewhere between Gainseville's Michael Collins' Sanskrit chants and Garrett Johnson's song about boogers.
It was about then that this night has turned into an experimental experience for us all.
Stepping up to the stage next was Telethon, a self-described "psych-pop-tronica" (psych-pop-sub-tropica?) band from Orlando. In September 2010, they opened for Surfer Blood and have clearly kept the connection to South Florida alive, as demonstrated by Friday night's show.
Lead singer and guitarist Matt Kamm commands our attention from his first words into the mic, "In 2011, I broke my foot. My dad died. It was a bitch year. Let's see if we can do something about 2012." Telethon's set proceeded to show us why, if they have anything to do with it, this will be a better year.
One of our favorites from Telethon:
INSERT - Telethon - gets things wrong
The show was originally slated for the Snooze Theatre... But, well, then this happened. Snooze co-operators Jordan Pettingill and C.J. Jankow were both present on Friday night. Rest assured, the Snooze vibe will not be put to bed anytime soon.
We're pretty sure the man wearing the orange hat behind the electronic drum pad was the authentic Bubbly Mommy Gun drummer from Athens, Georgia. Either that or Jacques Bruna, AKA Bleubird, has us all fooled about the "supposed" European tour he's on in support of his latest album.
Sumsun, AKA Judson Rogers, even got in on the night with a few experimental mixes. He mentioned his excitement about heading out to SXSW in March.
Also overheard in the crowd: "I'd pay ten dollars for that!" Surfer Blood's Kevin Williams said in reference to Michael Collins' cassette tape and hand-made hologram. Williams, recently back from the bands' appearance on Jimmy Fallon, told us he was surprised by how nice everyone was on the set. He said he had expected to be told to stand on a particular mark, but the band was told to "just do whatever" and it would be captured.
The crowd: A rotating mix of plugged-in musicians, local music fans, and Palm Beach Cultural Council members current and former, all skipping from the Speakeasy to Propaganda and back to Little Munich.
Random detail: Didn't get a chance to catch JJXP? The band, formerly known as Jimmy John's Experience, who may or may not have changed its name so that it would be freakishly faster to say. It'll be delivering the goods at Kismet Recycled Vintage and Designer Clothing on February 19. Keep an eye out for more on this special in-store show.
Easter Egg: Congratulations for scrolling to the bottom of this page! Your hard work should be rewarded. One lucky recipient will receive the digital download of Telethon's newest LP. The first person to use the code pictured below WINS!
For everyone else, be sure to look up each of the bands and the musicians mentioned, as they all have digital downloads hidden somewhere on the interwebs.
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