September 16th, 2011. Through the September night chill my good friend Cassandra and I walked a handful of city blocks from where we parked to the micro venue that is
O'Brien's Pub in Allston, MA. In a space maybe a tad larger than twice the size of my living room was contained a bar, corner stage, and makeshift merch table. The four acts to perform that evening could be found mingling with members of the audience, who were few and fortunate. O'Brien's was buzzing with a mellow warmth - an anticipating, welcoming, and thankful energy.
Stillborn, the first opener, served us a twitchy electronic onslaught chalk full of amazing transitions - abrupt yet strangely smooth at the same time. Imagine a time signature, tempo, and key change somehow occurring naturally over the course of a measure or two; it'd be enough to slap you in the face but Stillborn makes it easy...leaving you wondering just how the hell he did it. Next was
Lussuria's dark, ambient, and swelling synthezised soundscapes. Containing some industrial nods the undertone was cold and grim, but, as two strangers can bond through grief, also presented a gesture of universal connection. The third opener,
High Aura'd, was slightly more organic - one man looping several layers of effects-drenched guitar, hum, and feedback. An immense repetitious drone stuck to the air in the club as he worked through his set, successfully and gracefully closing the loop from the first two openers to the main performance of the evening.
Barn Owl's Jon Porras and Evan Caminiti finally took the stage and what followed left me in awe. The sounds found on their records were here impeccably reproduced in raw live spirit. Layered waves of a weaving sonic tapestry pushed out the walls as we settled in to a growing space. The fact that this full sound - swirling, shimmering, soaring, and shaking - was being produced by just two men on stage was truly astonishing. Most impressive was their unbeleivable mastery of feedback. Barn Owl uncannily induce precise tones, timbre, and squeal as elements of their compositions.
They moved beautifully through their set without speaking nor recieving applause, which was held until the end. Their eyes closed in focus, bodies swaying and swinging naturally through meditative musical practice, Barn Owl's live experience - much like their recordings - can be both cathartic and transcendentally affirming. It was evident that Porras and Caminiti were incredibly tuned in to each other during their performance; it was as though they were one creative entity, existing only and continuously as the moment in which their sound became music. Absolutely astounding.
