Gary War

After a solid, pulsating set from Transfixed & Body Language (whose lineup included the showcase's curator, Matt Samways of Electric Voice Records), the second night of this year's OBEY Convention closed with innovative psych popster Gary War. Against a backdrop of kaleidoscopic video projections, the New York-based musician played guitar and mixed blurred, echoing vocals with a backing track full of astral arpeggios. There seemed to be some dissatisfaction on his part with the sound quality for the first song or two, but War hit his stride soon after, becoming engrossed in the experimental cosmic textures he created for the audience. Some crowd members moved energetically, while others stood still, taking it in or perhaps expecting more. It seemed as if War was less preoccupied with putting on a show and more interested in establishing his take of a psychedelic atmosphere. It worked -- so much so that a net hanging from the ceiling, full of white, bobbing balloons for the festival's finale night, was pulled down prematurely during the ending of his set.