In between Tribeca Film Festival screenings, I decided to ingest some entertainment of the aural variety, and stopped by the “Emergenza Battle of the Bands” at bar The Bitter End on the lower east side. This was the quarterfinals of the competition, with the semifinals occurring at Crash Mansion on May 13th, and the finals taking place at Webster Hall on an undisclosed date. The prize, cash and a musical tour of Germany. Tonight, 8 bands competed for 4 openings into the semifinal round.
The room was oddly arranged, with a bunch of wooden tables flanking the stage, and very little standing room. There was also a two drink minimum per set, which was a recipe for disaster. The majority of the bands were terrible, but that was to be expected. I hate to shit all over an upstart band, but the award for most unintentionally funny performance definitely went to “The Rip Surfers.” This band was suffering a major identity crisis - the 50-year old bassist looked like Jacques Cousteau, donning a beret and a hideous turquoise shirt, while the keyboardist was dressed like a typical emo girl, and the lead singer donned a cowboy hat. Oh yeah, and their brand of Nickelback-esque shod-rock almost made me storm out in disgust.
Fortunately, I decided to stay and finish my Guinness, and see the next band, New York-natives Dellacane (pictured) - a three-piece that, nestled amongst a bunch of mind-numbing emo and metal acts, produced infectious, melodic Britpop. They attracted a large devoted following to the bar, with fans requesting songs and singing along to the lyrics. Heck, they were the only band that incited dancing amongst the tightly-packed inebriated horde of indie music lovers. The song highlights were “The Latest Craze” and “Chinatown” - two catchy numbers which combined spiky, Libertines-style guitars with galloping drums and harmonious vocals, as well as “Fighting Frenzy,” which sounds like the spawn of The Beach Boys and We Are Scientists. They were the only band to switch tempos, playing songs both slow and bracingly fast; they were also the only band to elicit dancing, and the dark environs of The Bitter End erupted in applause following each and every ditty. The single most effective thing I can point out is the tempo transition during “The Latest Craze,” as the song shifts gears into a foot-stomping chorus.
Unsurprisingly, Dellacane was awarded 1st place in a landslide victory.
If you happen to be in the NY area, be sure to check out the next round of Battle of the Bands at Crash Mansion on May 13th, and keep supporting your local music scene!
You can read more about Dellacane and check out some of their catchy tunes at their MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/dellacane
- Marlow Stern
Photo: Marlow Stern
