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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Photos / Live Reviews / News Live review: Hank and Cupcakes
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Hank and Cupcakes, Human Pippi Armstrong, Bouyant Sea, Three Brained Robot
The Milestone
Feb. 20, 2011
The Deal: Israeli duo Hank and Cupcakes brings in the pop rock duo torch along with performance artists and unique solo acts.
The Good: Upon arrival at The Milestone last Sunday, I caught the tail end of the performance by Greensboro's Three Brained Robot and wish I had seen the entire thing. At first glance, I saw the solo performer rolling around on the ground, with a puppet on one hand. The music was fast and furious with words being mouthed by said puppet. The song ended, the iPod was clicked to the next track and the singer/performer/artist brought out a parachute and had those in attendance wave it around him as he danced wildly. The procession then led out to the bar area until the song finished where the crowd was left wondering what they had just witnessed. Good? Bad? I'm not sure. Entertaining? You bet your ass.
Next up was the New Orleans trio Bouyant Sea. Simple echoed drumming was layered behind samples, bass, guitar and echoed vocals making for one noisy stew that was at times, hard to follow. Elements of industrial rock and punk shown through the haze.
Charlotte's own Human Pippi Armstrong was up next, offering his tunes via samples and keyboard. It's a kind of casio-keyboard basement rock with a bit more of a solid foundation. Simple in its presentation but more complex in ideas. The Kinnikinnik artist performs at the Milestone roughly once a month and is worth checking out.
The night wrapped up with an hour-long set by husband and wife duo Hank and Cupcakes. Perched behind her drums, Cupcakes let out the pop-rock beats and lyrics with husband Hank handling bass and sample duties. It's pretty thick music for only two people and it works fantasically well. Catchy choruses, energetic performances with Cupcakes sometimes standing on top of the drums and Hank roaming into the crowd. No surprise that they later sent out a Twitter message that the earlier bands had inspired them.
Cupcakes offered stories before a few songs, such as "Hit," poked fun at Hanks suspenders and drew the small audience in with her personality and energy. The bands music is a great combination of pop, dance and rock that is presented in a package that's entertaining without diminishing the duo's talents.
The Bad: That only 20 people were in the building to witness it.
The Verdict: Hank and Cupcakes hinted that they'd return in May — I recommend it highly. And if you see any of the other performers on a show listing nearby, I suggest you check them out too. This was definitely a unique combination of four artists that complimented each other while remaining incredibly diverse in their styles.
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