El Ten Eleven is an amazing band. If you have never heard them please do so immediately!
Kristian Dunn is probably the most incredible guitarist I’ve ever seen perform live. His skill with rhythm and melody are unparalleled from anything I’ve experienced before. He loops live, playing with tempo, melody, harmony, key signature you name it. Knowing what little I do about loop pedals I can imagine this is a very difficult process that requires a great deal of attentiveness and command over this particular approach. Dunn is also a rather likable fellow. He interacts well with a crowed and seemed pleasantly surprised at the enthusiastic reception they received at The Blind Pig.
Tim Fogarty, the drummer, has mastered his instrument to an expert level. I appreciated the way he and Dunn interacted musically, combining their rhythmic patterns and respective melodies. They are a seamless team of highly skilled, innovative artists.
The entr’acte for the evening was Beacon (Thomas Mullarney III (vocals) and Jacob Gossett), hailing from Brooklyn NY. (http://www.ohmyrockness.com/bandbio.cfm?bandid=34842, http://beacon.bandcamp.com/). They mix samples with haunting, high falsetto vocals from Mullarney (reminiscent of Michael Jackson, with a lack of pop, not to mention his curtain of black hair!). This duo was a great set up for El Ten Eleven. Different enough to keep things interesting but not so different that the collaboration felt disjointed.
The size of the venue was very conducive to this kind of show. Some people wanted to hang out on the fringes and bobble head, others, myself included, were in the thick of things, full body jamming to the beats of these two excellent bands.
Please take a moment to check out their music and broaden your horizons. Also, be sure to take advantage of all the amazing music that comes through this lovely college town of ours! It really is a treat!
