w/s/g Pleasure Dome, Viva Whatever, and DJ set by Thao Crash
Korine!
Last night Philadelphia based duo Korine brought their flavor of moody dance-y synth-pop to Syracuse's The Song & Dance for a crowd of about 100 people. Opening for them were two CNY bands, Binghampton's Pleasure Dome (not to be confused with The Pleasure Dome, from the UK) and Syracuse's own Viva Whatever (in their first public outting) and a DJ set by Thao Crash.
The crowd showed up in strength early This wasn't one of those shows where people trickle in and don't really attain critical mass until the opener. It was a place to see and be seen with more theatricality and costuming offstage fashions than worn by the performers onstage. It was a feast for the people watching eye, all united by the color black. Victorian era dresses rubbed shoulders with studded punk leathers. Plastic mini skirts and fishnets socialized with kilts. Plague mask wearing velvet steam punk couture socialized with a cowboy hat and boots. Mesh shirts danced next to restrained "preppy goths" in black high heel pumps and sleek black athleisure. Tattoos and piercings were the rule, and no skin was spared. Bold makeup abounded with no regard for gender norms. It. Was. Incredible.
DJ Thao crash set the mood with a mix of moody synth music. She didn't waste time with banter, and just spun wall to wall tunes. This would be a trend for the night. None of the acts on the bill had much to say, but instead just pumped out track after track. While there was absolutely nothing wrong with the DJ set, the crowd just wasn't in the mood to dance yet, but those that did, made full use of the empty disco-ball lit dance floor. It did what it needed: gave something to fill the silence and set the night's moody vibe in motion. The energy began to build when Viva Whatever took the stage.
Viva Whatever
While it may have been their first gig as a band, they did a solid workman's job of it. There were no prolonged pauses for tuning or missed cues. The crowd pulled close to the stage and listened intently. Viva Whatever played a handful of songs and the crowd seemed to appreciate them, though there was no dancing or moshing. Their set did cue up the one complaint we'd have for the night: the sound quality. It just wasn't good and the mix was just off the entire night. With and without hearing protection, the vocals were buried in the mix and the bass overpowering. It's almost as if it was mixed with heavy hearing protection on, or through very tinny monitors leading to the bass to be over blown. Ordinarily I might try to comment on the lyrical prowess of any the acts, but outside of banter, but I'd be hard pressed to recall as single lyric that was clearly heard. Not every venue has acoustics like Carnegie Hall, but the audio last night was more like a show a the Dome than anything resembling a hi-fi listening experience. That said, the crowd didn't seem bothered. They were there to dance.
Pleasure Dome
The dancing began in earnest with the next act: Pleasure Dome. They also brought synths to the party, moving the needle from firmly in rock territory towards the synth pop that was to come. Maybe it was the synths, maybe it was the tambourine, but Pleasure Dome's set energized the crowd. After a handful of songs that were all well received, it was time for the night's headliners.
Margy, of Korine
Korine took the stage like a whirlwind and never let up. Opting to split the stage down the middle, with singer/guitarist Margy on the left and Trey playing bass/synth on the right. It was the right choice. Margy made full use of the space, their hair wild and flowing as they whirled and pounced and spun their way through every song. This was no shoegazer performance. Energy poured from them, and it resonated with the crowd. Korine's sound is what I'd imagine Bleachers would sound like had Jack Antonoff been releasing records when ET and Purple Rain were released in theaters. It was an incredible show. At every show there are people who dance, even if its just a spinning hippie who's so high their consciousness is in outer space. This show though, had ENERGY. Nearly every one dancing and HAPPY. Don't let the dramatic dark goth fashions fool you, this was a happy crowd. Every where I looked, people were dancing, holding hands, taking smiling selfies, and just radiating good vibes. I know my writing drips with cliches and tropes, but this was a crowd in love.
Trey, the other half of Korine
Due to the stage setup, Korine's pre-encore break might have been the shortest I've ever seen. It literally was basically just Morgy saying "Thank you goodnight!" stepping to the edge (but not off) of the stage for a sip from a reusable bottle, and then back to their mic stand and "Who wants to hear one more song?!"
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