A trinity of chamber-rock art collectives graced the basement stage of the First Unitarian Church this Good Friday. Headlined by Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, and with opening sets by Cloud Cult, and Ice Palace, the night felt not unlike being caught in some lysergic dream for the better part of three hours. The sights and sounds pulled each spectator into a heightened state of consciousness, and the energy that emitted from the stage lay heavy above our heads, and so thick between our shoulders, that we could not move.
The eight members of Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s sprawled the wire and instrument-cluttered stage, and following instructions to the house to cut the overhead lights, siren lights began swirling and the drum began thumping like a slow heartbeat into “A Children’s Crusade on Acid.” A red glow traced the silhouette of each band member, and the occasional flash of a strobe light emanated an aura of doom, like the chilling winds and darkness before an impending thunderstorm.
Margot’s songs fit somewhere between lucid dream and total nightmare at times, with themes of paranoia, fear, and defeat threading through them all. “The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)” was as much a fiery warning as it was a delicate lullaby. The tender dialogue that is “Mariel’s Brazen Overture” featured vocals by keyboardist Emily Watkins, who received approving applause from the crowd. Other selections included the harshly forthright “Skeleton Key,” music box melody “Hello Vagina,” “German Motor Car,” and “Quiet as a Mouse.”
“Broadripple is Burning” was the obvious crowd pleaser in the set, played probably with the sole purpose of satisfying the audience. After strumming a few chords in preparation for the acoustic anthem for nostalgia and loss, singer Richard Edwards proposed “We can play another song, you know…” but then proceeded, lackadaisically, like he has probably done a thousand times before, as the audience sang along.
The climax came towards the end of the set with “As Tall as Cliffs,” a folky cacophony of percussion and vocals with contributions by all members, some beating coffee cans, triangles, and water jugs, and others clapping hands. The tune steadily swelled to its height, marked by Hubert Glover’s trumpet blow.
If you trade Margot’s anxiety in for unrelenting optimism, but maintain the hallucinogenic tinge, you get opening act Cloud Cult, who performed with such strength and vigor it was like they were determined to awaken each and every mind to the beauty that exists, always, right before our eyes. They wanted to get us on their side, where they know that uncertainty is okay, because life goes on anyway. The band ripped through an invigorating set including “Chemicals Collide,” “Brain Gateway,” “When Water Comes to Life,” “The Tornado Lessons,” and “Everybody Here is a Cloud.” The ensemble was complete with violin, cello, guitar, bass, trombone, drums, electronic samples, and a visual artist, who completed a painting on-stage by the end of the set, to be auctioned off to an audience member.
Minneapolis-based Ice Palace did not disappoint with their sweetly somber electric melodies. The dynamic between singer/guitarist Adam Sorensen and singer/keys/trumpet player Amy Hager is a delight to the ears: rich, romantic, and robust. The catchiest tunes of the night came from Ice Palace, who are, coincidentally, signed to Cloud Cult’s Craig Minowa’s earth-friendly record label, Earthology Records.
