Where: New York City
Venue: Central Park Summerstage
An Englishman an Irishman and two Scotsman walked on to the stage, this is not a joke. I dodged Django Django last year at Summer Sunday in Leicester to catch a glimpse of Billy Bragg - and it was well worth it. Finally, we're about to see Django Django perform live, delayed, but still... It was inevitable this would happen because of my last ditch effort to see both Bragg and Django Django in one day; failing of course, but something stands out here. I'm British, Django Django are British plus Irish, Central Park is in New York City, USA.
It's great to see a band for free, simple, but true. After walking around the punk exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I walked 10 blocks down through the gorgeous (get jealous Britain) Upper East Side to find myself at the heart of Central Park's musical creations - Summerstage. The lovely people at the City Park Foundations have covered public parks all around New York City to fill up the summer months of free shows of the arts.
Tonight's freebie special was Britain's up and coming, Music Review Database favourite Django Django. After a rather amusing set by Adam Green and Binki Shapiro, the stage was set for the percussion heavy quartet. The build-up was non-existent, so the band made the most of the setting and time.
They played an expected set of debut album material without the twist and turns 2012's Django Django boasts. The percussionists sounded like Talking Heads on grass. Take their incredible instrumentals created by rapidly rotating handheld percussion instruments and electrifying synths by Tommy Grace. Everything they do turns to exotic tribal fantasies. "Hail Bop", "Waveforms", and "WOR" offered the audience a sllice of free pizza that New York City happily paid for. Fan favourites like "Life's A Beach" and "Skies Over Cairo" beamed the official offering of summer to the organisers.
An Englishman an Irishman and two Scotsman walked on to the stage, this is not a joke. I dodged Django Django last year at Summer Sunday in Leicester to catch a glimpse of Billy Bragg - and it was well worth it. Finally, we're about to see Django Django perform live, delayed, but still... It was inevitable this would happen because of my last ditch effort to see both Bragg and Django Django in one day; failing of course, but something stands out here. I'm British, Django Django are British plus Irish, Central Park is in New York City, USA.
It's great to see a band for free, simple, but true. After walking around the punk exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I walked 10 blocks down through the gorgeous (get jealous Britain) Upper East Side to find myself at the heart of Central Park's musical creations - Summerstage. The lovely people at the City Park Foundations have covered public parks all around New York City to fill up the summer months of free shows of the arts.
Tonight's freebie special was Britain's up and coming, Music Review Database favourite Django Django. After a rather amusing set by Adam Green and Binki Shapiro, the stage was set for the percussion heavy quartet. The build-up was non-existent, so the band made the most of the setting and time.
They played an expected set of debut album material without the twist and turns 2012's Django Django boasts. The percussionists sounded like Talking Heads on grass. Take their incredible instrumentals created by rapidly rotating handheld percussion instruments and electrifying synths by Tommy Grace. Everything they do turns to exotic tribal fantasies. "Hail Bop", "Waveforms", and "WOR" offered the audience a sllice of free pizza that New York City happily paid for. Fan favourites like "Life's A Beach" and "Skies Over Cairo" beamed the official offering of summer to the organisers.
"Silver Rays" singled them out, but it was "Default" that took Django Django's set to home plate. Vincent Neff powered through with Default's unique electric guitar riff, backed by David Maclean's cowbell percussion. It's the sort of track enjoyed thoroughly by everyone and their Mother. My expectations were high and they were met head on by Django Django's professionalism.
There was sweat on the faces of the front row, the weather was moderately warm with slight winds, just enough to keep New Yorkers happy in the summer months. Some members in the audience sat down while others bolted to the front to form an art rock mosh pit. The only pit of concern to us at Music Review Database was the photo pit, where our unofficial photographer took some Kodak moments. I didn't fly halfway across Earth to see Django Django for free in Central Park, but it was lovely to hear one of our hotly tipped artists on a fantastic evening of music that started off arty, and ended arty.
There was sweat on the faces of the front row, the weather was moderately warm with slight winds, just enough to keep New Yorkers happy in the summer months. Some members in the audience sat down while others bolted to the front to form an art rock mosh pit. The only pit of concern to us at Music Review Database was the photo pit, where our unofficial photographer took some Kodak moments. I didn't fly halfway across Earth to see Django Django for free in Central Park, but it was lovely to hear one of our hotly tipped artists on a fantastic evening of music that started off arty, and ended arty.
~Eddie Gibson
