Ames, Iowa's alt/punk band Atombender has developed quite a reputation for putting on amazing shows. This year (2012) I decided to check it out for myself. As it turns out, I wasn't disappointed. I've seen them twice now, but at their most recent show they especially outdid themselves. Their album release concert in Ames, IA (May 11 at Zeke's) was packed with an avid AB fan-base who attended with euphoric anticipation. After some solid opening acts (
I caught most of the History on Repeat show which was very enjoyable), the bender boys took the stage at roughly 10pm. Following an ironic recorded music intro, they immediately pealed into the opening song ("
Carpet Hearts") from their new album release ("
Wait of the World"). The live performance of the song exemplified the edgy-yet-playful arrangements on the album of powerful drums/bass, guitar, and their unconventional blend of horns/retro-synth. Mix in the in-your-face vocal performance of two of the best front-men in the indie-rock scene (John Rohlf - vocals/trombone; Justin Smiley-Oyen - vocals/trumpet), and you have an introductory synopsis of an Atombender live assault.
After kicking out another new song ("Great Lakes") featuring very melodic vocal harmonies and an infectious synth-riff echoed by the vocals, they broke into an older fan-favorite - the highly energetic "FM Waves" from their previous EP "Poison Gasses for the Masses."
If you haven't seen an AB show, try to channel into a vibe of a bunch of friends hanging out. The sense of unity between the band and fans is such that at times they almost seem to blend into one unit. Cartoon character dressed fans are down front helping to rescue falling mike stands while front man ("Smiley") regularly joins the crowd for some some zany romping and frolicking. It truly is an adventure that everyone in the room has embarked on together.
In the midst of several more high-powered new songs, the band then offered a slower tempo number ("
Night Guard") which featured guitar player (Zach Brenner) on piano and the addition of another percussion player (to accompany drummer Ben Wiedenhoeft). The album version of the song is one of several featured epic, yet still raw punk-ish tracks (the others being
Weight and Sea and
Ad Astra Per Aspera) - and the live version enhanced the successful effort they've made to stretch themselves musically/lyrically. In this reviewer's opinion, this was one of several unique highlights of the show.
Other strong new songs displayed included "
Sinkhole," "
Amputations," and one of my personal favorites "
Curse My Metal Body" (
one of several new songs that stuck in my head from the previous concert I attended in Des Moines). After suggesting "let's have a dance contest" during a stellar cover of "
Kids" by Mgmt
(featuring an excellent, pronounced synth-riff by keyboard player Michael Davis), they eventually closed out their set by performing the track that finishes the new album:
Ad Astra Per Aspera. Singer John Rohlf described it as a song of hopeful focus through difficult times. The distinctly spiritual mood of the song translated well into the live setting.
Following a very zealous audience recall, they favored fans with two more songs - the crowd-pleasing staples "
Silent" (which bass player Jacob King humorously introduced as
"Yoda in My Pocket") and "
A Better Plan" from their earlier EP. In all, the concert was a high-octane, yet emotionally reflective event. Rumor has it that the mainstream band Hello-Goodbye felt Atombender should have been the rightful winners of the battle of the band contest at ISU's "Veisha" a couple of years ago. After seeing their album release concert, I can see why (One report says that the judges felt the band exhibited
too much energy - imagine that).
I heard that because of plans/schedules it's possible it might be a very long while before Atombender performs again - but in the very least do yourself a favor and pick up their new CD "
Wait of the World" available on itunes, bandcamp,
amazonmp3 - among other places.
P.S.
