Back to Johnny Brenda's for the second show in three days provided us with another taste of Philadelphia rock (The Bye Byes, Venomous) as well as a much appreciated headline from the U.K. (Air Traffic).
Venomous
Venomous, which hails from just outside Philly in West Chester, opened without much banter and cleanly roped in my attention. Their combination of garage rock with quick mid-ranged vocals exhibited a firm grasp on their cohesion as a group.
Their lead singer sang in a way that more often than not resembled the wiry style of Thom Yorke where he would soft talk at some points before emphasizing key parts of the lyrics. His presence wasn't the energy on stage for the group though, as the Venomous drummer constantly tapped away at the drums in his head-bobbing fashion.
The highlight of the set came about 15 minutes in when the lead singer put down his guitar and started playing the tambourine for their song "Calm". Clearly the slowest song on their set list, it also turned out to be the favorite of the fans watching as the place became entranced by the longing vocals and the simple, yet hypnotizing, drum beats.
After the group showcased their new song,"Careen", the remainder of the set turned into harder punk rock. This harder part featured a minute-long song complete with every member of Venomous energetically playing up until a hi-hat finish on the drums.
The Bye Byes
Immediately when the guys from The Bye Byes began strumming and activating the stage, a strange euphoria swept over me.
The lead singer said briefly that "We are The Byes Byes", but besides his everyday lyrics in mostly every song, he didn't mutter a word. In fact, the most active guy on stage turned out to be the bassist, who spoke to the crowd between songs and jammed on stage with the instrument that almost always has the most subdued/backseat member play.
It became apparent more and more that the bassist might have a better voice than the lead singer, who writes all the songs, when the bassist provided backup vocals for the lead man and was ultimately the center of attention.
This weird feeling crept over me the whole set, which I can't say I was particularly pleased with. The Bye Byes didn't have a real lead guitar on stage and their use of a keyboard member only kicked in when the songs were dying out or in an interlude. Many of the people in the audience appeared to show up for them though, and I suppose many of the remarks I made might strike some interest in them.
Air Traffic
With Johnny Brenda's packed to hear U.K. alt-rockstars Air Traffic, we waited. Scheduled to go on at 11:30 p.m., the guys didn't appear until close to midnight after their stage-hands had finally set up. What followed everyone in attendance will remember.
Air Traffic opened up with "Never Even Told Me Her Name" as lead singer and keyboardist Chris Wall flawlessly rapped away while swaying on his less-than-sturdy trunk. When the final words were sung of this, "we are here, we are", the ovation began and a buzzing energy coated the room.
Headed by Wall's unique voice and seat in front of a mammoth of a keyboard, the rest of the guys from Air Traffic earn their own respect as well. Tom Prichard (guitar) and Jim Maddock (bass) each moved and worked their respective instruments up and down to the ever-changing tracks the group features. Drummer David Jordan is no exception to the rules either as he switched from a sometimes back-end sound to the forefront.
This flexibility of the group came to full fruition with "Come On" as Wall rotated between the keyboard and lead guitar while Prichard and Maddox each beat the single drum and Jordan played backup keyboard before returning behind the drums. The whole sight on stage can be seen with our video below (will be up soon).
As each song was played the crowd at Johnny Brenda's mimicked the energy as it turned to dance hall with "Charlottle", private showing with "I Can't Understand", before returning to dance hall with "Shooting Star". After the last song echoed in everyone's ears as the clock stuck one, the bar erupted with adulation for the youngsters from England.
One of our favorites in their performance, which we put in our top 50 songs of last year was "No More Running Away" (also featured on an episode of The Hills), which two band members played the drums as Wall played the piano so earnestly. As the tempo picked up, Wall made sure the tempo did not go to fast as he waved the tempo back down. His presence as a leader and frontman for the quartet was obvious throughout the performance. The control and presence of his performance could be felt.
The most stunning thought of the whole night was how small the crowd was that enjoyed Air Traffic play. While in the UK, their shows bring boatloads of fans to their shows, their popularity has not spread to the States (yet anyway), making for a smaller, more intimate show. Regardless of the crowd, their performance was stolid and with a few new songs played throughout their performance, we have a feeling Wall and Co. will be back much sooner, but perhaps next time around, a bigger venue.
MusicUnderFire reviewed Air Traffic's Fractured Life late last year. You can check out the review here.
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