Tag Archive: Bug Jar

[show review] Starfucker // Rochester, NY

starfuckerpurple [show review] Starfucker // Rochester, NY

Starfucker is destined for larger venues, and deservingly so. The show on Saturday, April 9 was pure heat that could barely be contained within the walls of the tiny Bug Jar.

Before the band lit up their one-hour dance party, a hip-hop trio from Seattle called Champagne Champagne owned the stage, serving up a set that was an energetic stretch and warm-up for Starfucker. I’d go into more detail, but these guys require a post of their own, so be on the lookout for that in the near future.

Starfucker took the stage at midnight, shot off the starting gun, and were off the races until 1 a.m. Amidst a club-like setting of fluttered laser lights projected across the room, the band scorched through material from all three of their albums never once letting up. The only relatively slower paced song was their set opener, “Astoria,” off new album Reptilians. What this song set the stage for was a collection of songs that are tightly contained to the five guys on stage having to cycle through a variety of instruments including guitars, synths, percussion, DJ equipment for scratching, loops and samples.

Songs such as “Mystery Cloud” and “Laadeedaa” both kept a furious pace but made the room erupt into rave mode when they finally reached their peaks with the band thriving off of the crowd’s energy. ”Bury Us Alive,” the first single off of Reptilians, helped to keep the floor shaking, and it probably offered the most when it came to lead guitar with a a five-note screech used to introduce the synth-laden chorus. And the first large cheer for a song from the crowd came among the first notes of “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” a song that put the band on the map when it was used in a Target commercial in 2009.

You wouldn’t think that a large portion of Starfucker’s songs are about death were you to look around the room at the crowd’s reaction. The explosion of synths, loops, disco dance beats, and thumping bass were the main ingredients to each song played, inspiring almost every audience member to jump around, wave their hands and basically morph this party into the mini-rave that it was. It seemed like the crowd just couldn’t take it anymore when the tracer synths of “Julius” started to creep through the speakers. This song brought the room to a head and it was only halfway through the set.

Starfucker continued to forge on, with Ryan Biorstad and Josh Hodges leading the way by sharing vocal duties, trading synth measures, taking part in stage antics, and engaging in some sporadic scratching to bring a hip-hop feel to their set.. Whether it was intense headbanging, robot dancing during “Dance Face 2000,” and stage diving, the five-piece continuously fed off of the crowds energy as the audience held up their hands as if begging for more.

The party continued with the poppy staccato rhythms of “Medicine,” the opening track on the band’s EP, Jupiter, and “Quality Time,” an instrumental number that could bring out fist-pumping actions in the most lax concert goer. The song serves as the grand finale on Reptilians as one long crescendo, beginning with octave trades on Shawn Glassford’s bass and then building into yet another club-worthy dance number that contains long drawn out synth chords while drummer Keil Corcoran kept the metronome beats going.

I honestly can’t think of a better concert that I have attended within the past three or four months. Maybe I did, but Starfucker has brainwashed me with their infectious hooks and the fact that their main goal, more than anything else, is to create an atmosphere that allows their audiences to have a great time away from any worry that they may have in their lives. They accomplished this ten-fold. You could tell everyone in the room, band included, was experiencing this. If there was one song that could sum up the night, it would be their cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Everyone in the room came for a fun time, and Starfucker exceeded all expectations. This band is not to be missed if they happen to land in a town near you.

[mp3/announcement] tympanogram presents 003 :: These Electric Lives w/ Young Light and Keeping Quiet

December 18th Show Poster 791x1024 [mp3/announcement] tympanogram presents 003 :: These Electric Lives w/ Young Light and Keeping Quiet

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We’re just going to have this one post today since we have family things going on, as we’re sure most of you do as well – but it’s a good one, with the details about our next tympanogram presents show happening on Saturday, December 18th.

It’s our pleasure to be bringing These Electric Lives back to Rochester for one of their last shows in 2010.  This will be the Toronto foursome’s fourth time in our fair city in the past 12 months; they’ve put on killer shows every single time they’ve been in town, so if you’ve been meaning to check them out but just haven’t, this will be your last chance in 2010.

With TEL we are happy to be bringing two great Buffalo-based bands – Keeping Quiet and Young Light.  Keeping Quiet plays a melodic, earnest pop/punk hybrid; (we’ve talked about them before.)  Young Light just put out a new EP, and they play a darker synth rock – and we’re lucky to have them both on the show.  You can check out tracks from both of them below along with a track from These Electric Lives that we’ve posted before.

The show, like we said before, is on Saturday, December 18th at the normal digs – Bug Jar on Monroe Avenue here in Rochester.  Doors for the show are at 9, music should start around 10.  If you’re over 21 it will cost you $7 to get it, and $9 if you’re under 21 (but over 18.)

That’s the whole of it!  If you have questions, want more information that we’ve somehow missed here, send us an email or leave a comment.  We hope to see you all out for what promises to be another great show!

These Electric Lives – Called It Off (mp3) from We See Light… EP

Young Light – Night Animals (mp3)

Keeping Quiet – Old Phone Books (Demo) (mp3)

[mp3] The Russian Futurists: “Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds”

trf [mp3] The Russian Futurists: Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds
On Friday, when during a lull at our show I was discussing future shows with Tim of the Bug Jar, he mentioned with excitement new of The Russian Futurists’ upcoming appearance at the venue. I hadn’t heard much about the band prior, other than very minimal name recognition. Then I noticed the name within our submissions inbox and thought it to be an easy post idea.

Essentially a one man creation, The Russian Futurists are the brain child of Torontonian Matthew Adam Hart. They have a poppy, catchy sound that has been compared to such luminaries as The Flaming Lips and the Magnetic Fields. The band has actually been in existence since 2000 with the release of their debut The Method of Modern Love. According to the source of all sources, Wikipedia indicates he apparently does most everything on his own, but has a band for live dates. We’ll just have to see that setup in a few weeks.

Dig deeper with The Russian Futurists :: Facebook | MySpace | Twitter | last.fm

The Russian Futurists – Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds (mp3)

[mp3/concert] tympanogram presents… Friday, October 22

October 22nd Show Poster 791x1024 [mp3/concert] tympanogram presents... Friday, October 22

We’ve already announced two of the three bands who are playing our upcoming Tympanogram Presents show at Bug Jar on Friday, October 22, but if you’ve either missed it, or haven’t been paying attention, let’s recap:

Opening the show is Rochester’s Black Elk Speaks, followed by Hosannas, who are out of Portland, Oregon.  And while that would have been a great show in and of itself, we booked a third band just yesterday who we’re extremely excited to add to the bill: Toronto’s Young Empires.

The show is going to be $6 – a pittance for the amount of excellent music you’re going to hear.  There’s no ticket presale; if you show up at Bug Jar on the night of the show, it’ll still be $6.  (Unless you’re under 21, in which case it’ll cost you $8.)  So, come on out, have some drinks with us and listen to a triumvirate of great bands.

We’d like to thank Tim at Bug Jar for letting us bring shows in and giving us a kickass place to do it, and we’re looking forward to doing it more often from here on out.  Our next shows are already in the works, so be on the lookout for future announcements regarding those.

In the meantime, check out a track from each of the bands right here to get you in the mood, and if you have questions/need information, feel free to get in touch.  We’re excited.  We hope you are too.

Black Elk Speaks – Chain Gang (mp3) from Cycle One EP

Hosannas – When We Were Young (mp3)

Young Empires – Against the Wall (mp3)

[mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10

IMG 0309 1024x768 [mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10

This past Saturday evening These Electric Lives once again made the short trip south from Toronto to play a show in Rochester. It was their third time in Rochester this year and second at the Bug Jar. My recap will be brief (it’s not even really much of a recap) because I rather unfortunately got a bit too silly to recall most of the evening. It’s also a bit of an apology to the band since I regret my choice of imbibing several drinks on the evening to excess. I hope the band does not think me a lush. I say this because for their previous Bug Jar appearance I was also far too silly. I can count on one hand how many times in the last few years I’ve gotten as inebriated as I did those two evenings, and I could do so just as well if I lost three fingers. I suppose These Electric Lives bring out the crazy in me.

The band members Gary, Mark, Charles and Bryan, are four of the coolest, nicest young gentleman you could ever hope to meet. I just wish I wasn’t apparently so excited every time they come that I drink far too quickly and get crazy. I would really like to catch another full set sometime soon. I only hope they can take this unfortunate recurrence as an odd compliment. The brief bits of the show I do recall are of enjoyment, and I know the band put on an excellent set once again. Thanks to the guys, I hope we can do it again soon.

P.S. Next time they come, I’ll be your D.D. if you need a ride, because you should certainly go check them out.

These Electric Lives – Called It Off (mp3) mastered version on We See Light… [mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10

These Electric Lives – We Should Be Believing (Sta Remix) (mp3) from TEL Remixed [mp3] These Electric Lives @ Bug Jar: 9.4.10