Tin Tin Can, 1,2,3, and Yellow Ostrich at the EB

It's been a long time since I've been at such a solid and consistently awesome concert as the one I attended last night at the Empty Bottle.  I didn't hear a single song that I didn't like.
I attended the show with my lovely photographer friend, who was similarly impressed by the lineup.

Openers Tin Tin Can set the bar for the night with a high-energy performance (despite some technical difficulties - oh, power strips). Their music taps into something primal, much in the same way that Adam Arcuragi's music does. Their new album Strange Vibrations drops in a few days, so make sure to keep that on your radar.

I got to chat with 1,2,3 before the concert, so down into the Empty Bottle's basement I ventured again.  They all seemed tired.  We chatted about their journey together as a band (lots of miles, struggles to pay bills) and about upcoming events (SXSW, playing 6 shows) and about their influences (Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra, The Clash, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin).
The band is beginning to record a concept album this summer, titled Big Weather.
"It's a bit more American in the guitar sense of things," they said.
Keep your eyes on 1,2,3.  They're a self-professed "fun band to follow." They give away a lot of free music, and they're planning on shooting videos for each new song they put out.

Like I said, the band seemed tired when we talked, so I wasn't sure what to expect from them onstage. I hadn't listened to much of their music before the show, so I was surprised by the voice that came out of lead singer Nic Snyder's mouth. It danced around the room, at times shuddering into a growl, at times light, playful, and sassy.  By the end of their set, the entire band was covered in sweat and the audience was basking in the radiance of awesome music.  Their song "Riding Coach" especially captivated me, with its rollicking drumbeat.  It's a perfect traveling song - and listen to the melody on the chorus!  I just want to eat it up!



Yellow Ostrich took the stage last, underneath a plethora of lights. By this time the space was filled with people and a palpable concert energy that had been building all night.
When they began, I got shivers. Yellow Ostrich sure is proficient with loop and sampling.  Lead singer and main man behind the band, Alex Schaaf, had vocals harmony layered upon vocal harmony. Though there were only three people onstage, they created tremendous billows and climaxes of music, sampling themselves, looping percussion, effortlessly shifting between intimate and expansive.
They played a lot off of their new album, Strange Land, which they recently released. Check out "Elephant King" below.



The best kind of concerts, to me, are ones where I lose myself in the music. It's a kind of magic where I don't exist - I'm just part of it all.  That's how this whole evening was for me. I wasn't even there. It was just Music.

The cherry on top of this ice cream sundae evening? Yellow Ostrich covered Heaven by Talking Heads.
What more can I say?