If you threw the writing ability of Rivers Cuomo into a pot with the technical genius of The Edge and mixed it together with a little bit of noise-rock you’d have cooked up Mellowdrone. After a few EP’s recorded alone in his room, frontman Jonathan Bates expanded Mellowdrone into a full band. The outfit has just released the EP go get ‘em tiger, and is now on tour with Secret Machines and The Fire Theft.
Inside Atlanta’s Cotton Club, the crowd’s ears adjust to the fading music of the loudspeakers as the members of Mellowdrone approach the cramped stage and pick up their instruments. So far, only about 40-50 people have turned up to watch the opener’s set. Guitarist/vocalist Bates walks over to a drum machine with a stick grasped firmly in his hand. As he taps out the beat, the box sends an electric pulse throughout the building. For only a moment it appears the band may be a little shaky when guitar player, Tony De Matteo, hits the first notes and nothing happens. But the band knows exactly where they are and bursts into the first song. The drum loop lays the foundation for the music and is built upon by steady thuds of bass. Layered on top of that are the guitars of De Matteo and Bates, spread across the rest of the band like an extra layer of butter on toast. Bates sings catchy melodies over the top creating and incredibly full sound. Just before the first chorus, Bates leans over to pick up an electric drill. As the band explodes into the hook, he sends the sound of the screaming drill through his pickups and into the crowd. Finally, drummer Scott Ellis joins in for an intense finish . Towards the end of the set, as the energy reaches a peak, Melloedrone is in control of the crowd, which has swelled to about 150. To close the show, they play a short, quiet doo-wop ditty followed by a polite thank you as they exit the stage. The Secret Machines, set to take the stage next, have been generating a solid buzz with their mysterious persona. Earlier in the show a few of the members were scattered amidst the crowd, digging Mellowdrone. Made up of three members, the Machines mesmerize all. Much like Pink Floyd in its heyday, the band members are mysterious, if only from their silence. As the club is masked by darkness, the fuzzy sound of seemingly ancient synthesizers takes emanates from the PA for a few seconds, allowing the Secret Machines to creep to their instruments. The synth sounds fade into quiet, weeping guitar carried by keys. Suddenly the drums crash in, penetrating the ears of those standing in curiosity. The cloak of darkness disappears in a flahs of blue lights as the crowd first views the dimly illuminated faces of the Secret Machines. Drummer John Garza, Brandon Curtis (bass, keys, vocals), and brother Ben Curtis (guitar, vocals) are engaged and ready to converse with the cosmos. From the opening notes to the time the members leave the stage, not one of them says anything to anyone in the crowd nor do they make eye contact with any person other than each other. There are not many bands so completely immersed in their music, and the mystery keeps everyone enthralled for the entire show. Waves of guitar sweep over the 200 faces presently watching. Garza bangs ethereally while Brandon Curtis switches between keys and bass. He strums the bass as if it were a guitar. At the height of action Garza cracks his high-hat from hitting his drums so hard. While the screaming vocals turn to soft melodies hidden in a shadow of music, the band winds down and leaves the stage with only a short wave from Ben Curtis. Quickly the lights come up and the stage is covered by busy hands clearing the stage to make way for The Fire Theft, who will soon bring the rock. Currently the group is touring behind its self-titled debut. Sunny Day Real Estate’s Jeremy Enigk and William Goldsmith have recently formed the band as a sort of continuation of SDR. With a little bit more classic and experimental rock in mind, The Fire Theft has turned more than a few heads.
Walking onto a bare stage, The Fire Theft opens with a display of well-orchestrated rock. The music holds strong as Enigk belts out note after note and pumps all his energy into the music. The headliners have the enthusiastic crowd cheering them on at every turn. The songs flow together and, until show’s end, everyone in the room is beautifully lost in the music.