For those that have experienced the awesomeness of New York’s Apes & Androids, you already know what this band is capable of. Within a few minutes you will be banging your head, dancing around and throwing up devil horns to the sky. Tonight the band did not disappoint. They were over an hour late (as expected for the Knitting Factory) but the place became crowded by the time they took the stage. The lights were cut and on the PA played a looping harmonized vocal track of the band that became hypnotic. Shortly an ark (yes, an ark) appeared into the crowd, haphazardly colored with fluorescent markers that came alive under the black lights. They were carried by the band members dressed up as evil cloaked monks. They did a few laps around the crowd and then took the stage.
They played all their hits plus a few new songs to an over zealous crowd. No dancing sleeping bags this time but a flurry of glow-in-the-dark balls emerged from the balcony. The special treat occurred at the end when they decided to play a special “super sexy” version of Hot Kathy. Out of nowhere an entire Korean drum troupe emerged on stage to play along with the band. It was incredible and they continued to play an encore after the song ended. It’s great to see a band experiment with new sounds and even new instruments and to have fun with music. Despite the bands outlandish stage presence, they have a very professional and serious craftmanship with their sounds and at the same time don’t take it too seriously. A great live band that always makes you wanting more.