Alias Frequencies’ digital style freaks Mootsy’s tonight
Last week’s two-for-one Upper Class Racket reunion shows at the B-Side and Mootsy’s left emcee Erick Bergloff’s voice ravaged.
It’s not that his skills are rusting.
But rapping at punk speed and rock volume for two back-to-back shows will take its toll on even the most conditioned pipes.
While a less-motivated artist would take a break and let his body recover from the self-inflicted trashing, Ironhide Erick is back on the local music circuit this weekend, this time tapping into his talents as an anti-vocalist by spearheading the Alias Frequencies show tonight at Mootsy’s, 406 W. Sprague.
Alias Frequencies is a loose consortium of artists whose lineup is a perpetual game of musical chairs.
If Bergloff has a reputation for eccentric expression and challenging traditional ideas for presenting art, Alias Frequencies is one of his purest conceptions.
It is whatever Bergloff wants it to be on any given night – hip-hop, spoken word, heavy electronica, ambient noise or turntabling.
Tonight Alias Frequencies takes the shape of live electronica with Bergloff, aka Erick Beats, joined by his partners in percussion Jeremy Hughes, David Griffith and Eric Littlechild.
This is one of those last chances to experience Hughes’ spellbinding electronic sonics, as he is going underground in the coming weeks to finish two solo albums on Bergloff’s Central Service label. Then he’ll be jetting out in the fall for Mills College in Oakland to study electronic music and recording media.
On stage, Hughes uses everything from guitar and bass to keyboards and computers to make his experimental yet compelling electronic orchestrations.
Similarly Griffith and Littlechild mix organic with synthetic instrumetation. Bergloff sticks mainly with digital equipment, and he’s been known to sample and distort sounds he hears outside his bedroom window.
This type of show might seem a bit alien at Moosty’s, Bergloff said. That’s why the “bands” will be setting up on the second-floor balcony and remain intentionally detached from the crowd.
“People walk into Mootsy’s and see all these computers and MPC and it’s like, ‘Oh, what is this stuff?’ But when they just hear it and listen to it, they get down to it,” Bergloff said.
At the end of the night, Bergloff and Hughes likely will break out the vinyl and spin some of their favorite wax works and newest finds.
The digital orgy starts tonight at 9:30 at Mootsy’s. The cover is $5.
Dust Everclearing
Former Everclear bassist and Spokanite Criag Montoya makes his first Spokane appearance with his new band, Tri-Polar, which includes Scotty Heard (Sweaty Nipples) and Brian Lehfeldt (Everclear, Sweaty Nipples).
They’re appearing with Brooklyn garage-melodic rock band Suffrajett on Sunday at the B-Side, 230 W. Riverside.
The female-fronted Suffrajett blends elements of Led Zeppelin with Diana Ross and a touch of Axl Rose.
Suffrajett is stopping in Spokane while on a brief break from a tour with MC5.
The show starts at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the B-Side.
Cover to be announced.
The Side’s project
One unfortunate thing about the music scene is the inevitability of competition to the point of causing animosity between bands.
Can’t we all just get along?
Members of The Side Project seem to think so.
That’s why the acoustic-electro-rock outfit has commissioned some of its musical peers to help produce an album of remixes from the “14” album.
The Side Project unveils its latest offering, “Form Follows Function,” on Thursday at the Blue Spark, 15 S. Howard.
“Form Follows Function” features the production work of locals such as Jeremy Hughes, Locke, Criminal Dougie and more.
Many of those who had a hand in producing the album also will perform at the show.
The CD release for the Side Project jumps on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Blue Spark. There is a $5 cover.