Concert – Page 8 – [art]seen

REVIEW: University of Michigan Women’s Glee Club Fall Concert

November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 Chelsea Zabel

The Women’s Glee Club started strong in their opening song on Saturday night, singing “The University” to Hill Auditorium. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of students filling the mezzanine, supporting the Women’s Glee Club in their first concert of the year. The theme for this concert was Celebrating Sisterhood, Song, and Strength, and these were found throughout the evening. Song was obviously accomplished by the music they sang, spanning styles and languages from English to Italian to Bulgarian.

The Italian selection “Canzonette a tre” included accompaniment from a violin, viola, and recorder, enhancing the experience to feel more medieval. They sounded excellent together, and I am always a fan of including other instruments to contribute to the sound and atmosphere. Following the Italian pieces was a 6-song string of “Songs for Women’s Voices” by Gwyneth Walker. All poems in English that were put to music, it began with a satire that explained how women should be pedestals that are under men’s command, but concluded with a piece about the power and of a woman’s love. Next was “Ergen Deda”, an up-tempo song in Bulgarian that helped to break up the pace of the concert and give the women something to smile about and move around to. They concluded the first half of songs with “Lux Aeterna”, simply a beautiful composition.

After intermission came Midnight Blue’s performance. The a cappella group performed seven songs, and showed their strength of voices and confidence while they sang beautifully and included some dancing and parodies for the audience to laugh at. A special favorite of mine was “A Netflix World” sung to the tune of “A Whole New World”. A little too relatable, this song made me realize that I’m not alone in how much of life life is motivated or unmotivated by Netflix auto play.

Finally, the concert closed with songs about the University of Michigan, the classics that you hear at tailgates. The bond of sisterhood was evident here as alumnae joined the club onstage. Smiles and hugs were shared as the former members returned to their voice parts, and it was heartwarming to see how much the Women’s Glee Club meant to them even after they had graduated. I know that reconnecting with alumni and forming a base is something that the Women’s Glee Club is working to accomplish, and I think they are on their way to doing so if they maintain the atmosphere of sisterhood.

Overall a great concert, and I am always happy when I attend. I am glad that students are coming to support their friends in the club, and I hope the tradition continues as the Women’s Glee Club grows stronger.

REVIEW: Kill the Noise

November 6, 2014November 6, 2014 Gabriella

Last night at Necto, Kill the Noise ignited the stage for an electrifying set to a crowd of several hundred patrons. While I rolled up a little later than normal because my pre-concert nap went longer than I expected, I was greeted with pounding drum n’ bass as I walked up the steps to the dance floor. In the back were the usual kids who wear gloves with glow-lit fingers, the guys with hats that resembled bears, and the folks who think it’s a good idea to wear other group’s merchandise at a show that someone else headlines. Nevertheless, I was ready to get into the groove and have a good time.

As the night went on, I routinely became most energized with throwbacks that were then remixed into new material by the experienced DJ. Taking cues from the crowd of what college kids would go wild for, he played the main line to Snoop Dogg’s “The Next Episode” followed by a distorted second half that incorporated in his own style. Additionally, he played “Hold On” (Sub Focus remix) that used the acapella vocals of legendary “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled.

The most hilarious part of the night was when he announced he was going to play something we’ve never heard before, and then started playing the build up for DJ Snake’s and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What.” I laughed pretty hard, and then some when he played Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” to effectively Rick Roll his entire audience. The crowd bursted out shouting the lyrics to this extremely odd break from the norm at a club. But, as a 33-year old producer, Kill the Noise, or Jake Stanczak, likes to play around with the younger kids by mixing the unexpected outside the heavy dubstep and drum n’ bass influenced tracks.

My favorite part of the night is where he played some of his own original music, like his “Talk to Me” remix of Brillz’s track. By drawing out the sound of a man saying “talk to me,” he was able to create an eerie and creepy feeling that only added to the anticipation of the drop.

While he does have major collaborations with artists such as Flux Pavillion and Feed Me, it is always a treat to see a producer showcase his own talent at the stand. Especially for a devoted audience who will be able to recognize earlier tracks, it only adds to the overall concert experience. For example, when he played his track titled “Kill the Noise Pt. 1” the audience went into a “Kill the Noise” chant to root for the man at the top of the stage. “Kill the Noise Pt. 2” had elements of a choir in the background, which is part of his style to include traditional vocals (that get distorted) with more heavy beats.

By the end of the night, Mr. Stanczak was getting tired and hopped off the stage at 1:30 a.m. to let the openers close out the show. Openers Two Fresh and Botnek started with The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” from the 1970s that features heavy arpeggio and was featured on my 1970s listening exam in my electronic music class with the RC. At this point, my friend and I knew that the core part of the night was over and that they would try to bring the energy down by the end of the show, which they did.

Overall, it was a great experience to hear some of the innovative ways in which producers like Kill the Noise try to keep their shows interesting and not just the same tracks you can get on Soundcloud performed live.

PREVIEW: University of Michigan Women’s Glee Club Fall Concert

November 6, 2014November 6, 2014 Chelsea Zabel

Who: The University of Michigan Women’s Glee Club and Midnight Blue

What: Fall Concert: Celebrating Sisterhood, Song, and Strength

When: Saturday, November 8 at 8:00pm

Where: Hill Auditorium

Why: Why? Because the Women’s Glee Club is a fantastic group of talented women. Their fall concert is sure to be an impressive mix of styles and sounds: something for everyone who wants to support this group. I am excited to hear what they have in store on Saturday.

How: This event is on this week’s Passport to the Arts, so be sure to pick one up for a free ticket if you can. If not, student tickets are only $5 and available at the door.

PREVIEW: Kill the Noise

November 4, 2014November 4, 2014 Gabriella

Who: Kill the Noise
What: Concert!
Where: Necto
When: November 5, 9 p.m.
Tickets: $17.50, plus $5.50 in service fees for $23 total each

Kill the Noise is headlining Necto this Wednesday night for a show that will be sure to get our minds off the upcoming snow and instead turn up the heat on the dance floor. Known for dubstep and drum and bass, he’s collaborated with big names like Skrillex and deadmau5, and lesser known Feed Me and Botnek. I’m excited for the show because the next time he’ll be around it’ll likely be at a larger venue with him gaining fame in the coming months and definitely in 2015. His sound is electrifying and unique, and he’ll be on full display to showcase his talents to the Necto faithful.

To get hyped for the show, listen to his Soundcloud and like him on Facebook.

Tickets are available here.

Review: Carter Lezman – A casual Thursday on S. State St.

September 28, 2014September 28, 2014 watsonsauce

Last Thursday the 25^th of September, a former classmate of mine, Carter Lezman, took the stage at World of Beer on South State Street with his friend David Heilig. The two serenaded the bar of friends, family and strangers with 90s throwbacks, current favorites, some original tunes written by Carter and a few classics like Sweet Home Alabama.

Carter has a strong tenor voice, which works very well for the ballads he chooses to sing. His passion and love for music comes across in his performance. David and Carter pair harmonic chords well together on the guitar and clearly enjoy playing with one another.

I had the pleasure of meeting one of Carter’s inspirations for playing music, his mother Lori. Her enthusiasm and excitement for Carter’s show was infectious. Many of his friends turned out to see him perform as well.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for the next time Carter Lezman is performing in Ann Arbor.

Follow Carter on Facebook.

REVIEW: JOHNNYSWIM Live

April 7, 2014August 30, 2014 Natalie Minor

As one of the first warm and sunny weekends of the year comes to a close and Ann Arbor begins to recover from an eventful couple of days, I’m still riding a natural high in the wake of Johnnyswim’s performance at The Ark on Saturday night. The ghosts of endorphins are kicking around in my brain as we speak – and with good reason. My expectations were high, but the pressure was nothing for these two, whose energy upon their return to Ann Arbor in the wake of a crowd-pleasing performance at the Folk Festival in February left them shining like a couple of polished gems.

The intimate space of The Ark was a perfect venue for the acoustically driven sound and incredible vocals of this songwriting pair. The sold-out crowd was taken from the moment they stepped on stage, kicking off the show with a sweet and simple track from their upcoming debut LP. While their ability to weave their voices – each distinct and rich in their own right – into a unique and mesmerizing union was enough to capture the attention of the audience, it was the couple’s magnetism that set them apart. Married in real life, wife Amanda and husband Abner played off each other in a refreshing and intimate way that is seldom seen on stage.

As they moved on to the title track, Diamonds, the two offered an even deeper look into their lives by providing insight on the inspiration of this empowering song. Abandoning all pretenses for frank honesty, Abner explained that this song was their “suck it” song, directed at an individual in their personal life who continues to doubt them in spite of their mounting success. While in looking into the lyrics one can find that this message is there, the two were quick to point out that the song is also one of hope – indeed it stood for hopeful optimism to the 250 cancer children they performed it for soon after its conception.

This early peek into the minds of these talented musicians set the tone for the night, as the remainder of their performance was filled with anecdotes about various songs, new and old, and silly stories about their experiences. The audience particularly enjoyed a long and very involved story by Abner about the events surrounding his proposal to Amanda three years into their relationship, the inspiration of their soft and rhythmic piece Paris In June. Upon flying her to Paris for their three year anniversary on 24 hours’ notice, Abner found that just about everything that could go wrong did, though in the end he got his storybook proposal. These insights added to the charm of their songs, deepening one’s understanding of their already graceful tracks.

Their set list gave those excitedly anticipating their debut album, Diamonds, which drops at the end of the month, a taste of what to expect. Songs like Pay Dearly, a revenge-seeking piece full of falsetto and strong riffing, bring out the soulful side of the versatile couple, while tracks like Home capture the country-folk influence of Tennessee, where the two met. Their wide sampling of genres appeals to many different kinds of listeners, and by the end of the show everyone had found music that suited their style, calling excitedly for an encore. The two didn’t fill the request, instead showing their appreciation by holding a meet-and-greet in the lobby after the show.

As a fan of Johnnyswim, I wasn’t expecting to have the opportunity to meet them, so I was pleasantly surprised to make my way to the line near their merchandise. Their grace and charisma translated off-stage, and I was happy to find that they are even more kind and humble than I could have imagined. Their genuine interest in their fans was rather uplifting and I found myself walking away with a phone full of selfies that Abner insisted on taking. I will leave you with a few of my favorites, though the quality is not the best (it seems my iPhone has let me down once again.) Their debut album, Diamonds, hits iTunes on April 29^th, and their EPs Home and Heart Beats are available now.