Welcome to Day 2 of February’s Three Stars. Yesterday we spent some time with The Hint, tomorrow we’ll talk to Shortstack, and today we’re featuring The Apparitions. A slight disclaimer before we get started: The Apparitions are not exactly a D.C. band. However, their lead singer lives here and the band held their album release party here last week. Since they’re sure to be major presence at local venues in the coming months, we bring you The Apparitions.
The Apparitions, originally out of Lexington, Kentucky, have adopted D.C. as a second home and are making an impression on the city’s musical landscape. Frontman Mark Heidinger is no stranger to the District, having previously made an impact as the bassist for D.C.’s These United States. Recently, the Apparitions introduced the world to their new LP, As This Is Futuristic, at Arlington’s IOTA, though I first heard them while browsing at DC9 last Thursday. They took the stage five-strong and broke into “Electricity and Drums”, beckoning the audience with handclaps and boisterous vocal harmonies. Performing live, the band displayed an energy and chaos that the album version simply doesn’t capture; you could hear the panache and punch of the drums, each pre-chorus crack a flourish for the band’s loud singing-cum-yelling.
“Motor Skills” followed the opening number, though its nasal-pop vocals on the album were toned down in the live version. On the other hand, the sound of the Apps’ three guitars, uncensored by studio production, filled the room and bounced off each other. The heavy, but short-lived distorted strum of the song was paradoxically calming, each droning riff making way for another bright chorus. The club’s acoustics complemented the briskness of Heidinger’s delivery without drowning out the music.
After “Cemeteries,” a Franz Ferdinand send-up and their new single, the Apparitions cut into new territory. Adding their merch seller to the line-up on synthesizer, they played more danceable and spacey tunes. The song’s combination of keyboards turned up to a Theremin-high whistle and the yelling Apps, all set against the red glare of the DC9 stage, were simply surreal.They wrapped up the show with more new wave drumbeats, throwing sinuous guitar work into the mix. On the third to last song, the catchy and quick chord progressions worked the audience into a fervor that literally got the floor shaking.
The last song, “God Monkey Robot” was all about the percussion section. Carrying the first 30 seconds of the song, the Robby-Robbie duo of drums and bass laid the foundation upon which the lyrical and musical plots climbed, steadied themselves, and eventually stood tall. Before the last chorus, the guitarists’ started a hand-clap that the crowd quickly mimicked. When the clapping had spread amongst the audience, they took back to their instruments, there was a guitar screech signaling to start the charge, and the chorus finished everybody off.
Visit Them at: http://www.theapparitions.net
See Them Next: April 7th at IOTA
