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Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Photos / Live Reviews / News Live review: The Catch Fire, Cement Stars, Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 3:24 PM
The Catch Fire, Cement Stars, Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun
Visulite Theatre
March 25, 2011
The Deal: Charlotte acts The Catch Fire and Cement Stars hit Visulite Theatre with Atlanta's Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun.
The Good: The night started off on strong footing thanks to an energetic set by Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun. The quartet features Lauren Gibson on vocals/keys, Micah Silverman on bass/keys, Cregg Gibson on guitar and Jeremy Cole on drums. L. Gibson provided infectious energy in the vein of Metric behind the indie rock with pop and electronic elements. Cole not only offers a sometimes electronic beat but was often driving the music forward. C. Gibson knew when to kick riffs into overdrive and when to hold back and Silverman offered harmonies and electronics of her own in addition to holding down the low end on bass. In addition to having solid musicianship and songwriting, the band's overall stage presence drew in the small crowd and left them wanting more.
Next up was Cement Stars — Bryan Olson, Shaun Olson, Joshua Faggart, Enid Valu — and a different brand of indie rock that created more of an atmosphere. Much like the first band, the drums were the driving force here as well, behind dual guitars and the beat-keeping basswork of newest member Valu. The keyboards set a backdrop and hints of '80s nostalgia. There was nothing fancy with the straight-forward sound, but it was more of a mood being created than a sing-along style.
The night wrapped up with the indie-pop rock of The Catch Fire — Mike Mitschele, Jon Lindsay, Adam Roth and John Cates. Mitschele's vocals gave an interesting dichotomy alongside those of Lindsay, but they definitely worked in full force together. The band brought forth rock with hints of pop and alt-country or just leaving the straight rock sounds intact. Lindsay found time to unleash his inner rock god, dropping to his knees for the occasional solo, while Mitschele preferred a more laid back approach, leaning toward his amp at times for glimmers of feedback. The different styles were completely cohesive within the band and left me with many moments thinking, "I'd like to hear that one again" in order to take it all in. Fans have been waiting for an album from the band and it's scheduled to see daylight sometime this year.
The Bad: Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun had one more song to play and they were cut off — seriously? The show ended before 1 a.m. and one song added wouldn't have ruined anything. Telling them at the end of the second-to-last song was just plain wrong. Five minutes over wasn't going to hurt anything.
The Verdict: Triple threat of an evening that was worth seeing for the diversity within solid songwriting. Each band created a completely different mood and showcased its own style in the right way. Keep an eye out for the next show by any of them...
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