Simian Mobile Disco dazzles wall-to-wall crowd

Simian Mobile Disco dazzles wall-to-wall crowd

by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer Simian Mobile Disco April 24 Neumos It literally felt like a sauna during Simian Mobile Disco's high-powered, very kickass performance last Thursday at Neumos - not that I'm complaining; I finally said goodbye to five pounds of stubborn winter fat. The British duo, equal parts James Ford and Jas Shaw, didn't go onstage until 11:30 and when they did, a capacity-filled venue was more than ready to let loose. Like something out of Close Encounters, illuminated strobe-light towers and tinkering synthesizers introduced the opening number, "Sleep Deprivation." Then a thrusting bass line and full-throttle keyboards got the entire floor bouncing up and down, up and down, and up and down. The hard ground suddenly became a trampoline with hundreds of thin-layered concertgoers rising off the ground in unison, fists punching the air and the music throbbing like an otherwise really bad hangover. By the end of the first cut, I was already using extra dinner napkins for sweat rags. Two college kids near me ripped their shirts off - again, I didn't complain. A young Gay couple (obnoxious and smelling of over-the-counter cologne) kissed and hugged and groped regularly. I found it annoying and amusing at the same time, and the straight guys within close proximity smiled and minded their own business - tolerance at an early age is a great thing to see in action. What gave this show a unique edge, in comparison to Justice's similarly explosive DJ set a month ago, was Simian Mobile Disco's eye-popping light display. Skinny towers were placed onstage in a half-circle and throughout the concert flashed simultaneously in various bright colors - pink, lime, yellow, aqua, and lightning white. At one point, so many lights were flittering at once that I imagined this is exactly what a celebrity sees when stepping onto a red carpet at a major event. "Hustler" was enormously fun, a bit funkier than the album version, and chunks of "Hot Dog" were mixed into another song that I didn't recognize - I was hoping it'd be played in its entirety. Heads bobbed, booties shook, and it rained sweat during a jumpy and busy version of "It's the Beat." Ford, in spectacles and with a lanky frame, either stayed in the background or had his back to the audience during the performance. Shaw, curly-topped with a stocky build, sat sideways on the stage playing his keyboard. Both were dressed in black, neither spoke during the entire show, and each in a special way drew his share of admirers. I was in Ford's section of dreamers. An unfamiliar track, which I'll refer to as "Fantastic," was a booming concoction of repetitive female-led vocals, electronic swirls, groovy beats, and reasonably loud sirens. Typical of DJ-themed concerts, Simian Mobile Disco isn't the easiest act to review. Nobody sings, everything is pretty much instrumental, and aside from an unexpectedly spectacular light show (my eyes saw pinks and aquas for days, thanks to SMD) the theatrics are low-key. But, when the music sounds as good as what this British twosome puts on disc, you absolutely must experience it in person to appreciate its true energy.