Pissing off Scenesters Since 1995
Gabriel Kahane, Bell and Nat Baldwin
Gothamist House/Bell House
October 22, 2008
Hidden away between sign shops, warehouses and new construction you’ll find The Bell House, the newest music spot from the owners of Union Hall. For the next few days The Bell House is home to Gothamist House, the popular NYC news blogs addition to the CMJ Music Festival, and one of the few places to see CMJ Music during the afternoon.
I headed out Gothamist House for a shot to see Gabriel Kahane, the piano folkster who wrote a cycle of songs about his experiences on Craig’s List. I arrived to a practically empty club, where Mr. Kahane was singing his heart out into the rafters and bouncing on his piano pedals like he was playing the show of his life. Kahane sings jangly piano based songs that examine the little minutiae of life in an amusing way that dredges up J.D. Salinger’s world view. Imagine Ben Folds without the hippy pretension. He’s a clever songwriter, and his keyboard playing is a wonderful mix of jazz and circus music.
Next up was the best surprise of my week so far, Russia born Alaska bred Olga Bell. With a keytar strapped into place, a stage covered in effects pedals and drummer Gunner Olsen destroying the drums, I was immediately drawn into their world. Bell is all over the place and their music flows from quiet vocals only passages that build and build into noisy, discordian holler filled choruses that bounce around to near disintegration. The combinations of drum triggered samples, keyboard rock and echo filled vocals blend perfectly into a swirling cloud of sound that is dancey and fun, while sometimes straying into controlled melancholy. Olga Bell changes her voice and singing style several times per song, and I was amazed to hear growls, clear high notes, shrieks and whispers all within a few notes of each other; Olga Bell is a real singer with a real voice. From the sounds they made on stage here, it seems that Bell is just getting started, and I’m excited to hear what they come up with. Truly, Bell is a rocking band and I highly recommend you get out and see them as soon as possible.
New Hampshire experimental minimalist Nat Baldwin is himself and his fingers manically pounding and plucking his giant double bass. His music seemed especially spare and appropriate in a huge empty club. Baldwin’s songs build on rhythm and repetition with his sometimes falsetto vocals reaching up to the rafters. Baldwin kept his stage show minimal as well, and went directly from song to song with a quick break for a drink here and there. I was a bit bored at first, but after a few songs I found that the repetitive sounds of the solo double bass take a bit of time to warm up to, and I began to enjoy the complicated rhythms and creative finger picking. At one point during his set his mangling and pounding the strings with preternatural force – the anti Yo-Yo Ma This is the type of music that takes some time to understand, but fans of odd and creative music will find themselves enjoying Nat Baldwin after a short break in period.
I was a little shocked to find the Gothamist House event nearly totally empty, as I would much rather see music than sit through the afternoon panels with exciting titles like ‘Internationally Licensing the Future!’. It’s also a bit awkward when more audience members were live blogging on laptops than experiencing the show. I understand we are in the wired age, but I think the world can wait to hear about a set when it’s actually over. Pattern is Movement was scheduled to play later in the day, and more people seemed to be arriving as it was time for me to hit another show.
The friendly bartender, cheap beers and fantastic sound system will definitely bring me back to see shows at The Bell House. It’s a cool venue and a great alternative to Southpaw. Gothamist House promised art, but all I noticed on display were 4 painted skateboard decks by Shai Dahan, which were extremely unimpressive. I think we’re well past the days where painting a stormtrooper or the Statue of Liberty on a skateboard deck is original or innovative art that fits the vibe of a new music festival like CMJ.
