One of the best choices I’ve made this year was to head to New York in May to see Japan’s Mono perform on their 10th anniversary tour. In honor of that occasion and their latest album, Hymn to the Immortal Wind, the performance featured not only the band in the beautiful New York Society For Ethical Culture concert hall, but collaboration with a full orchestra as well. It was a truly transcendent experience, with superb acoustics and the band’s already powerful intrumentals pushed to new heights.
Tonight’s show isn’t in a church-like setting, isn’t slated to feature an orchestra, and is part of Mono’s usual tireless touring, but I’m no less excited about the performance. Neumos isn’t fancy, but the setting is ideal for letting the music wash over you. As cool as the orchestra was, Mono doesn’t need anything but the core members to fully execute on their quiet-LOUD-quiet template, so there’s no other place we’d rather be tonight. If somehow you’ve managed to miss out on Mono’s live performance, you’ll definitely want to make it as well. Don’t forget earplugs.
The bonus for tonight’s show is an opening performance by the local and always-wonderful-live synth-gazers Sleepy Eyes of Death. It’s their last performance of the year, and chances are high that they’ll play some material from the new album they’re finishing up. Word is that it’s visual technician Brandon’s last show as well, so here’s hoping he goes out big–lasers and confetti?
- Mono, Maserati, Sleepy Eyes of Death @ Neumos, doors 8pm, $13 adv., 21+.