Monday, September 16, 2013

Twin Sister: Brooklyn Bowl 9/12/2013

I had been wanting to see Twin Sister ever since I heard Colour Your Life, and probably before that, but one thing or another kept it from happening all these years.  I was surprised the opportunity finally arrived via a tweet about a free show at Brooklyn Bowl.  I immediately got my tickets and then found that finding someone to go with me would not be as easy as I had assumed.

Luckily, Jeff's schedule had cleared up in time and not only would I be accompanied to the show, but I would get a ride in a car on a probably rainy evening.  There was even a chance we would make it in time for free bowling.  The event, which was primarily for a screening of Brooklyn Nine Nine, included free bowling and free drinks for the first 50 attendees.  The drink seemed unrealistic and by the time we made it to the venue around 6 there were long lines and the bowling offer had expired.  With little interest in what I assumed to be a film, we went off and did something else.  Then it started to rain like crazy and we had to walk back to the Bowl soaked.

We got into the place around 8:15 and were greeted with free socks and a drink ticket without even having to present my print-out.  Brooklyn Nine Nine, which is actually a TV show premiering on FOX soon - was just ending.  People seemed to be enjoying it, but it obviously wasn't set in outer space so I could care less.  What was really nice was the drink ticket.  I was able to obtain a full pint of Brooklyn BLAST!  (which had an 8.4% alcohol content).  Very nice for a broke fan such as myself.  It was also very easy to get a place near the stage and there was a shocking amount of room to move around.  The band took the stage on time, making this already one of the best shows of my life.

I was really looking forward to hearing some new music from the band who has not put out an album in two years.   I had a feeling that it would be monumental.  In reality the music was very good, but not exactly life-changing.  They have taken their Tetris funk further into a sensual prog territory in a style that is as precise as their playing.  All of the music was more than decent but the focus seems to limit them a bit too much, as is often the case with new, young bands who have "found their sound."  I am sure the next record will be one of the better ones of this or next year, but will lack the spontaneity and unpredictability of Colour Your Life.  This thought may have been proven true as out of their whole set "Lady Daydream" remained the highlight, with "All Around And Away We Go" probably the second best.


One thing I really took out of their performance, which is both refreshing and a little disappointing, is that that their youth is so untarnished.  The average member of Twin Sister, in fact, is not much younger than me (I’m 26).  However, they clearly have been able to retain a lot of their innocence, at least on the surface.  Apart from frontwoman Andrea Estella's visual style, the focus is entirely on the music.  While pleasant to the ears, it leaves the eyes wanting a bit more.

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