MUTEMATH with As Tall As Lions
November 4, 2009
Revolution Live, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Written by Kate Dingle
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really quite sure what to expect from either act. I mean, I had heard of both, but didn’t really know anything about their music.
There was only one opener, and I was very happy to hear that. I feel like if there are two or three openers, it’s because of lackluster ticket sales. That the headliner cannot stand on their own with just one supporting act. That’s probably not the way it really is; it’s just my opinion.
When As Tall As Lions took the stage, I immediately wrote them off as one of those bands with fifteen members playing twenty five different instruments (they didn’t have 15 members of 25 instruments, obviously) because they lacked talent. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when the group played their first chord as a cohesive unit. Each member’s part blended so well with everyone else’s that if you closed your eyes, you’d never guess how many people were in front of you. THAT, is true musicianship. The Long Island based group was the perfect start to a spectacular evening of music.
“Have you ever seen Mutemath before? If you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat.”
That’s what was said to me in between sets and whenever I hear that, I tend to just let it go in one ear and right out the other. But the folks who said that to me hit the nail on the head. When the four piece from New Orleans took the stage, something in the air changed. It’s hard to explain, but there was just an overall relaxation. However relaxed and sleepy was certainly not the way the show went. From the first chord of “The Nerve” to crowd favorites “Control” and “Armistice”, lead vocalist and keyboardist Paul Meany poured his heart and soul into every single note, and band mates Darren King (drums and samples), Greg Hill (guitar), and Roy Mitchell-Cardenas (bass) all followed suit.
The guys from NOLA were on the money on Wednesday night. Watching Meany’s jumping and dancing around the stage, King’s percussion performance from the top of the stage, the beauty in Mitchell-Cardenas’ cello performances, and the flawless guitar work from Hill was like watching some sort of beautiful chaos. There was something entrancing about this combination of musicians that I had never experienced before. And when it came time for the encore, the Mutemath guys brought it even harder. The four song encore started with each member playing an instrument that wasn’t theirs (I always like that). Throughout the entirety of the encore, there were no holds barred. However, the greatest moment of the night came courtesy of drummer Darren King. Towards the end of the encore, King took a bass drum down into the crowd (we all thought he was just going to pass it around and let the crowd hit it a few times). However, things took an interesting turn when King followed the drum into the crowd and then somehow was able to pull himself on top of the drum itself. The top of his head was nearly twenty feet from the ground, and in an instant, he fell backwards into the reaching hands below. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen at a live show.
To say that this entire show was a showcase of some of the finest musicians around would be an understatement. Every single artist who stepped on stage shared their craft that had been honed to perfection. It was a gift that each musician graciously gave to each person in the room, and that each concert goer was happy to take home with them. Mutemath and As Tall As Lions was hands one of the best shows of the year. If you have an opportunity to see this show live, go and check it out. As my neighbors at the show would say, “If you haven’t (seen Mutemath), you’re in for a real treat”.
Photos by Christina Mendenhall
As Tall As Lions
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