Review of Anne The Drosendoff, Cex, and The Dismemberment Plan
By
Jarrod Whittington, Matt Toledo - 04/05/2002
Anne The Drosendoff (by Matt):
Anne The Drosendoff is a hard band to describe. Which is a compliment in today's music climate where there is a label for nearly every genre, sub genre, and genre niche. Their instrumental compositions are highly orchestrated, like Frank Zappa, and the band is not afraid of using odd time signatures and accents, like the evening's headliners, The Dismemberment Plan.
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They use heavy distortion and finger-tapped guitar licks but you can't call them metal. Their new drummer swings and rocks but they aren't Jazz. Each tunes features an algebraic mix of riffs and melodies that I have no doubt lie be beyond the grasp of the common listener. Their music is surreal. If you could crack open an idiot savant's head and listen to their thoughts, it would sound like an Anne The Drosendoff Tune.
Personally, I find their music impressive. However, I really don't think that the members of the band are trying to impress anyone but themselves. A rock "showman" wouldn't tune for nearly a minute between each song. At the very least, he would buy a mute pedal to save the audience from listening to the occasional painful TWANG of an out of tune note. But to me, their ruff stage presence was an endearing trait which only reinforces my belief that they are in it for the music and not for the glam.
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Anne The Drosendoff rides a fine line between complete sonic anarchy and ingenious composition. What saves them being too incomprehensible is their use of slide-rule math- hooks on the bass, kit, and guitar. Some songs are based on a guitar hook, while others start off with a bass riff or drum fill which is immediatly passed beween the band members. Isolated by themselves, the hooks are quite catchy. Put them together, and it can be quite overwhelming. It all melds into something so intense that it could easily inspire a mosh pit or youthful angst--if only they played one riff for more than a few seconds.
There is no singer in this instrumental power trio and I couldn't imagine there being one. It would only add more to something that doesn't need more. Not having a singer frees the band up to play riff after self-indulgent riff. I sometimes envy them for it.
I don't expect everyone will understand what Anne The Drosendoff is trying to do with their music. And I don't think they would care if you did or didn't. If you are into exploring new and untapped areas of rock, you should feel lucky that Anne The Drosendoff is in Athens. If you don't like to think when you drink, then Anne will not be your cup of tea.
And now, for Jarrod's take on the rest of the evening.
Cex and The Dismemberment Plan (by Jarrod):
I arrived at Baker Center ballroom just in time to see the last crashing chord of Anne the Drosendoff before they made their way off stage. I was late thanks to the poor foresight of a friend of mine who shall remain nameless. Let's just say his name was Feremy Joltz.
"Come on, let's just have one more beer," said Feremy, "I guarantee they won't start before 8:30"
Deflated, I walked back over the other end of the cavernous ballroom to talk to Matt and Jodi Toledo, both of whom were looking smashing in their classic tight-jean/t-shirt combos (DKNY, $105). After they purchased a couple of items from the DP merchandise table, we found a suitable spot in front of the stage to see and be seen (just like the hipsters that we are). While we were talking, this skinny blonde guy walked up on stage and began fiddling around with an iMac laptop. He eerily resembled Puck from one of the old "Real World" seasons. No one was paying much attention, assuming he was just an audio tech or roadie of some sort, until suddenly he grabbed the microphone and just began talking to the audience, almost mid-sentence. As people began to turn away from their conversations to listen to the pacing, somewhat confused-looking guy on stage, the lights began to dim, and he informed us that his name was Cex from Baltimore, MD. He was the opening act for the Dismemberment Plan.
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Friendly and humble in his opening introduction, Cex (aka Rjyan Kidwell) gave no indication whatsoever that what was to follow would be a one-man onslaught of unforgiving hip-hop fused with experimental instrumentation and impromptu comedy. With the press of a button on his laptop, which balanced precariously on a stool, he launched into the first song without a hint of hesitation.
While some heads were bobbing almost immediately, the reaction of much of the crowd was at first confused, then amused, and finally delighted. Even elitist music snobs like myself found it impossible not to fall in love with Cex's clever rhymes and over-the-top stage presence. But it was between the songs when Cex would win the crowd over. He made every attempt to talk WITH the audience, rather than AT them. Cex came across as the guy you hope will show up to the party, you're funny friend who always cheers you up with positive energy and quick wit. Light-heartedly taking jabs at everything from emo to the sheer number of Tim Horton's restaraunts in the area, his performance took on an air of being held in the corner of someone's basement, rather than a stage in the middle of a ballroom.
At the end of his set (which was too short), Cex promised the crowd a free-style, impromptu rap. He asked for the audience to provide 3 subjects for rhyming. For whatever reason, the crowd ended up choosing "stroking", "dissecting human corpses" and "babies". I wish I could remember some specific lyrics to quote at this point, because they were surprisingly good, but I'm sure I would only butcher them and embarrass Cex, myself, and the reader. Suffice it to say that he pulled it off well, no pun intended.
After a short wait, The Dismemberment Plan took the stage in another total lack of pomp and circumstance, merely picking up their instruments and letting lead-singer Travis Morrisson introduce them before launching into a song off of their latest LP, "Change".
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Apparently, a show the following night in Michigan had been canceled, so the Athens show was to be the final stop on the "Death and Dismemberment" Tour (I am not sure why Death Cab for Cutie did not play the Athens show, but that's neither here nor there). As such, the atmosphere throughout the Plan's show was that of relaxed fun and tired relief. The band played many crowd favorites, including "You are Invited", "What do you want me to say?", "Ice of Boston", and "The Dismemberment Plan gets rich", as well as a large selection from their latest release.
What makes The Dismemberment Plan a hard act to describe to someone who has never heard them before is their complete disregard for any thing resembling a typical rock/pop song formula. They rely on very peculiar time signatures, searing keyboard noise (which 3 of the members take turns playing) and cerebral lyrics with odd subject matter. All of these things are merely layers on top of a songwriting style that draws at once from early Genesis-era prog-rock, 80's synth-pop melodies, and 90's indie rock with a bit of hip-hop for added flava.
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The results are a bit other-wordly, and can sometimes be a little disconcerting to the nonbelievers. But fans such as myself had a great time attempting to dance in 7/8 time. And, yes, I even got up on stage with the other hams and danced during "Ice of Boston"
Overall the show was a little more low-key and laid-back than I had expected. Travis Morrisson's gentle smiling nature threw me for loop, having assumed he was a spastic psychopath ever since the first time I heard The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified LP. Near the end of the night, however, Morrisson asked the Athens crowd where he might be able to score some good espresso after the show, considering it was the last night of the tour and he could drink caffeine again (caffeine makes him sing like Lemmy from Motorhead, he admitted). Not surprisingly, some thoughtful person went down to the Front Room and brought him a cup of the murky black stuff. I left in a hurry, just in case any Jekyll and Hyde symptoms might begin to surface at that point.
