By: Andrea Myers
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P.O.S. CD Release Party - Photo by Andrea Myers |
The excitement of the evening began as soon as I stepped into the doorway of the 7th Street Entry for the P.O.S. CD Release Party. Previously only disclosed as “special guests,” a list of set times inside the doorway showed that the opening bands included Passions, Digitata, Heiruspecs, and Doomtree. With talent bursting out of the listed lineup, I knew it was going to be a good show before I had even stepped into the dark little room.
Passions kicked off the evening with a rollicking punk set, highlighted by the shrieking vocals of Grant Cutler (TOMHANKS). Played with a level of carelessness similar to performances by TOMHANKS, the music of Passions would be hard to take seriously if it wasn’t so damn good. Cutler and guitarist Mike Gunnerson shot each other goofy smiles and took turns yelling out background vocals as the groaning rhythm section pummeled on behind them.
Up next was Digitata, a 2005 buzz band that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in the new year. Beginning with a synthesized sound effect that resembled something from an Atari video game, Digitata showed off a new level of geek chic. Lead singer Maggie Morrison appeared mousy and shy, but at the moment she opened her mouth she became sultry with vocals that are at once breathy and soulful. With a sly grin, she slipped off her cardigan and wooed the audience with her synth-pop songwriting abilities and silky-smooth voice.
By the time Heiruspecs was ready to take the stage, the Entry was completely packed and, once situated, few people moved from their original places around the room. I’m not sure if it was due to the lack of wiggle room, the fact that the show was 18+ or simply just because there was ample positive energy flowing through the room, but few audience members were drinking, and those who did purchase drinks did not venture back to the bar for refills as often as at other shows.
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Muad'Dib & Felix of Heiruspecs - Myers
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Heiruspecs pulled the audience into their set right away with “5ves,” clearly a favorite among attendees. The audience soon had all arms in the air, waving and dancing together to a synchronized, bobbing beat. I have always enjoyed taking in a set by Heiruspecs because their energy is completely organic, with live musicians Sean “Twinkie Jiggles” McPherson (bass), Peter Leggett (drums), dVRG (keys), and Josh Peterson (guitar) laying down the groove behind MCs Felix and Muad’Dib. The mood was always positive without passing into poppy, and the beats were so infectious that it became impossible to hold still. The Heiruspecs set favored tracks from their latest disc, A Tiger Dancing, and highlights included a tight version of “It Takes” and a drum-off competition between Leggett and Muad’Dib, who showed off his impressive vocal beatboxing.
The Doomtree set began with a solo performance by Dessa, a bluesy song set to a quirky squeaking clarinet sample from Marshall Larada. After a dainty little nod and coy smile, Dessa leaned back to chug a bottle of beer as she welcomed her “non-brothers” to the stage, fellow Doomtree members Sims, Mike Mictlan, and Cecil Otter. (Check out a review of Doomtree’s performance earlier in the weekend with the Plastic Constellations.) As Doomtree plowed through their electrically-charged set, it became obvious that the crew embraces one another like family members. The support that they showed toward P.O.S. (also a member of Doomtree) and the other bands in the lineup was nothing short of honest sincerity, and at times they got so excited that they appeared on the verge of screaming or crying. In one of many surprise guest appearances, Dessa invited Jessy Greene onto the stage to sing a great duet and play violin.
Shortly before midnight it was time for P.O.S. to take the stage, and the full house erupted in applause and cheers. P.O.S. (real name: Stefon Alexander) appeared nervous and awestruck, panning the crowd in complete disbelief as if he had expected the club to be empty. Before DJ Turbo Nemesis started up the first song, P.O.S. took a moment to graciously greet his guests and confirm that everyone was comfortable and supplied with enough water, bottles of which he continued to pass out to the audience throughout his two hour set. Despite his obvious anxiety and bubbling excitement, P.O.S. quickly transformed into a cool, confident rapper, while rapping a few tracks off of his brand-new album Audition with Turbo Nemesis as his only accompaniment.
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P.O.S. - Myers
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Looking around the stage, P.O.S. continued to mutter “Oh my god,” and “I can’t believe this is happening,” at times appearing on the verge of tears and in complete disbelief. At one point he looked out into the audience and asked, “It’s a Monday night, what the hell are you guys doing here?“ He decided that he should invite some friends up on stage to help calm his nerves, and within moments the musicians of Heiruspecs were crowded back onto the stage, this time bringing Steve McPherson with to play guitar, and prolific sound engineer Joe Mabbott (Atmosphere, Heiruspecs, Brother Ali, and many, many others) helped out on the drum machine. The band played a surprising, fuzzed-out cover of Spoon’s “30 Gallon Tank,” and P.O.S. proved his vocal versatility and ability to turn from rapper to singer on a dime.
One of many highlights from the lengthy set was “Safety in Speed (Heavy Metal),” which also features Craig Finn on the recorded version. P.O.S. explained that he wanted to play it, “even though he’s on tour right now, and not here,” and Steve McPherson filled in Finn’s vocal part with remarkable accuracy. Friends were continuously cycled through on stage, including Maggie of Digitata singing the chorus on “The Kill in Me,” Sims and Mike Mictlan of Doomtree trading off verses with P.O.S., Jessy Greene playing violin, and I Self Divine who, toward the end of the set, faced off with P.O.S. in a great battle rap.
The evening climaxed with the hit song “P.O.S. is Ruining My Life.” As the musicians of Heiruspecs and Big Trouble kicked off the heavy beat, P.O.S. stood at the center of the stage, arms spread wide and eyes up to the ceiling as he yelled, “Oh my god, oh-ver-whelm-ing!”
Location Info:
7th Street Entry
Artist Info: Digitata, Doomtree Collective, Heiruspecs, P.O.S., Passions
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