There isn’t a more arresting falsetto in rock right now than TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone’s. This would be a feat in itself, were he not in constant harmonization with lead singer Tunde Adebimpe’s intense vocals — taking TVOTR’s sound to another level of cool. In fact, were these two not harmonizing, perhaps TVOTR would be just another trip hop, art-rock, doo-wop, retro-funk, Brooklyn-based mash-up collective. To put it another way, this band is unique enough already and the amazing vocal interplay of the two lead singers solidify their place as innovators in rock history. And those of us lucky enough to get tickets for the sold-out October 15th show at the 9:30 club got to witness them in action.

Grizzly Bear was supposed to open for TVOTR, but due to a bus breakdown, the Baltimore-based Celebration filled in instead. As it turns out, Celebration has collaborated with TVOTR before, and TVOTR member (and producer) David Sitak produced their latest album, so this turned out to be a fitting combination. Celebration’s psychedelic and atmospheric sound is jarred by the intensity of Katrina Ford’s singing and stage-presence. I can only assume that there were vocal effects on Ford’s mic, making the movements of her mouth never quite match up with what I was hearing. Her singing is haunting, but at times, she sounds more witchy than ghostly, and more manly than simply full-throated. The most interesting aspect of this band is that Sean Antanaitis plays probably 90 % of the instruments both on the album and on-stage. Between his guitars and multiple keyboards, he was also manning Moog bass pedals with his feet. This guy is amazing. While Celebration’s music would not usually be my cup of tea, they were impressive enough to warrant a second listen.