Daedelus w/ Nosaj Thing + Jogger @ Le Belmont 02/19/2010

Posted 26 Feb 2010 in Music,Shows

Firstly, I too have to apologize for the lack of activity this week. Despite being on our “break” from school, we are laden with midterms, papers, and projects due as soon as we return (what fun!). Excuses aside, I now have the chance to properly gush about the great show we saw last week at Le Belmont. We had the opportunity to see button-master Daedelus perform with Nosaj Thing and Jogger at the intimate venue in Outremont. The smaller size of Le Belmont allowed for a more personal performance — the artists were able to interact with the crowd and work off of their energy. By the end of the night, performers and attendees alike were covered in sweat and wishing the clock could be turned back for another go.

The night kicked off with Jogger, a two-piece indie-rock/electronic band straight out of LA, who masterfully weave smooth guitar riffs into interesting electronic beats. On the beat maker is the heavily dreaded and intense Jonathan Larroquette, whose head-banging and elaborate knob turning initially confused the crowd, then intrigued them, then finally got them dancing. Accompanying Larroquette is the concentrated and brooding Amir Yaghmai on guitar and lead vocals. The two played off of one another’s energy the entire set, as they jumped from a static composition of beats and guitar, to sweet harmonizations, sometimes towards more satanic sounding harmonization, and finishing the set with the crowd-pleasing fiddle donned by Yaghmai. Befitting their experimental sound, the fiddle was not played with a bow — instead, Yaghmai strummed it, and then sang through it. Yes, he sang into a fiddle. As the crowd grew more accustomed to each new component that Jogger threw at them, the dancing commenced and set a great vibe for the rest of the night.

Following Jogger was another LA native, Nosaj Thing. This young producer first caught our attention late last year as his remixes of Drake, Flying Lotus, and The xx began to float around the interweb. He kept our attention once we heard that he would be premiering the Nosaj Thing Visual Show in California. At first we were a little disapointed when there was no visual component to his show at Le Belmont, but that was quickly forgotten as he eased into the ambient beginnings of his set. Despite the smooth, flowy music he was playing, Nosaj’s hands were pouring across his equipment, switching over to his computer, jumping up in the air, and then flying back down to his toys. Soon, the music began to pick up the pace and match his flying hands as he began to drop his better-known remixes. At this point, full-out dancing and cheering had commenced. After these crowd pleasers played through, Nosaj began to drop some glitchy hip-hop remixes that surprised everyone, and then elated them. The progression and range of styles that Nosaj Thing’s set covered kept the crowd interested and fully attentive the entire time. Daedelus (aka Alfred Darlington) made his appearance towards the end of Nosaj Thing’s set, and you could tell the crowd was in the perfect mood. Cheering from the very beginning and ready to dance, the crowd eagerly watched as Daedelus prepared his two Monomes.

As Daedelus took the stage, I was immediately struck by his presence: his grand sideburns, coupled with his green button-up shirt and classy vest (not to mention his adopted last name Darlington), culminating to create his signature Victorian and elegant style. The best way to describe his amazing persona comes from his bio on Twitter: “full time musician, part time dandy.” More importantly, though, was that from the very onset of his performance, he was smiling — it was clear that he was genuinely happy to be performing for us. As the set progressed, this smile was increasingly replaced by looks of concentration as his hands flew across his endless buttons. Throwing his hands sideways with the press of each button with a certain flair, he kept the crowd energized for the entire performance. He made button pushing fun and interesting to watch, and was creating music that you couldn’t help but dance to. He, too, progressed through many genres (including hip-hop, dubstep, and electro, among others), always adding his glitchy and danceable touch that the crowd loved. Every now and then, his huge smile would break across his face again when he was about to do (or just did) something really cool. Daedelus’ happiness and intensity were so transferable to the crowd; he could have brought the house down playing a harpsichord. Instead, he destroyed the house with his innovative and original sound that we can’t wait to hear more of.