The Trinumeral Festival
With Otto Von Schirach, Tokimonsta, Eprom, Panic Bomber, and More
Friday, October 8, 2010
7th Circuit Studio
Better Than: The actual day when the digits align in auspicious numeric sameness?
When we arrived Panic Bomber was on the stage, dressed in the tightest black leather pants and silver cardigan set. Under blacklight, the man who used to hide behind a top-secret power suit was
now strutting his stuff out in the open, singing catchy electro Dade-wave tunes.
Suddenly, Señor Bomber lashed out against his new Korg controller and threw it into the audience. "Never buy one of these. They look convenient, but they
never work."
Out on the back patio sat a refurbished school bus that had been converted into a party lounge, complete with velvety couches and stripper poles. Sources tell us that this bus hauls people to Burning Man every year. There was also a giant wooden mushroom.
A pair of ladies with torches started performing a synchronized pyrotechnic dance. People were awed by the spinning fire as Okulus Anomali spun some Pink Floyd dubstep. And those who weren't loving the fire dance were freaking out, dude.
The visuals supplied by the TM Sisters were in perfect synch with the music, both rhythmically and thematically. A few of the thousand images on screen: flamingos, fried eggs smiling as they traveled through ear canals, triangles, aliens, alligator shamans, and scenes from a sword-fight-slash-dance-party.
Otto's gang was extra powerful last night. He was rolling seven deep, and the chaos he and his crew were brewing seemed like it was going to result in a riot. However, the scene remained pretty calm off stage. Aside from two little girls in glowing body paint, there was no real reason to get too worried about anyone's personal safety. Well, that was the case until a 20-foot inflatable sledgehammer, manned by Otto's prop-master Alligator Jesus, started pounding the crowd during Otto's new track "Alligator Disco."
Back on the patio, there were girls dressed like soccer players peddling balloons. People played the flute, and a group were huddled underneath the cap of that giant wooden mushroom. Seriously, the outside was a mind-melting place.
When Tokimonsta got onstage, most people stayed outside. She played an interesting batch of electronic music that she manipulated and mixed live. Tokimonsta didn't really give much of a performance; she just stood there working behind her laptop and mixer.
The bass did drop, pretty damn hard, too. The sound in this place was incredible, the low end was deep enough to give goosebumps, but didn't make you want to shit your pants by accident. The highs were crisp and clear, and the mid-range was sharp like a laser.
EPROM came on around 2 a.m., and by this point everyone was either in the backyard on the party bus, or over at Bar to see Diplo. It's too bad, he did some pretty cool stuff up there. He was working that sampler with speed and ferocity. He was immersed in the music, completely unfazed by the dwindling crowd. A true pro, he played his set with enthusiasm and precision, it was totally worth it for those who stuck around.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: I know Otto's always going use his juice to give us an intense show. It's a tough act to follow.
The Crowd: Ravers, hippies, hippie ravers, little kids, grandmas, and people just like you and me.
Overheard in the Crowd: "Birdhouses are not for eating!"
Otto Von Schirach's Set List:
-"Flamingo"
-"Fried Eggs In My Ear"
-"Blanco Rojo Negro"
-"Alligator Disco"
-"Sub-Atomic Disco Divas"
-"Dance Like A Ho"
-"The King Of Drop"
-"Bermuda Triangle"
-"Bass Low"
-"End of The World"