Just 24 nerve-wrecking hours before the election results came in, Flobots took the stage in NYC…Part 1 of 2
Flobots felt like the perfect band to hear on Election Eve, and it was heartening to see so many in the audience sporting stars-and-stripes bandana scarves. And while the lead MC was, like everyone else, thrilled by the prospect — just 24 hours away — of an Obama victory, he offered wise words in case McCain won, adding further “No matter who wins this election, we still have to fight for what we believe in”, which is the basic stance that gets the right people elected in the first place. It was also heartening to hear him talking with the audience about the continuing problems faced by a segment of a generation returning from a war, citing a letter the band had received from a veteran, just before launching into a Papoose-type read-through of individual letters, tho in this case he just limited things to a four-letter word- “Iraq” the multiple, grim meanings of which he contemplated, one letter at a time…In a way, Flobots feel like the perfect Craigs List-blended crew (that’s a compliment) to which each person brings something unique, even though they downplay their individuality by self-assigning numbers which replace their names…the lead MC, AKA #5, leads them and the crowd with an activist’s humility; MC and vocalist, AKA #0, breaks into a pop-and-lock routine (in part 2 of this show, up soon); their electric violinist, AKA #33, gets funky in a kinda countrified, more fast-winding style than say, the solemn strokes of a the numberless Miri Ben-Ari; she also hits a few abstract notes that keep things arty (one bit sounds like Butthole Surfers’ “Creep In The Cellar”) and off-kilter enough to counter-balance the hypnotic, grinding metal section of their bassist, AKA #101, and guitarist, AKA #17, who switch from Rage-type aggro to curly-strummed and plucked funk rhythms on a dime, and their drummer, AKA #69, looks like he could be playing a lot harder than he already is. While the show wasn’t sold out, the venue was smart to book these guys, as judging by the loyalty of their audience which has been growing steadily, this band now looks to reach a major, next plateau. Part 2 coming up…http://www.fightwithtools.org/
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