If you've seen HEALTH play a show or two, you know their shows are viscerally exciting and brutally energetic, which made the low turnout at this one a little odd. In any case, those who did show up to Vancouver's Biltmore were treated to the usual onslaught, ably supported by a couple of homegrown acts.
Following MYTHS' stunning performance the other month at Pat's Pub, opening for an equally experimental band gave the duo the benefit of a more receptive audience. These concertgoers were already expecting some degree of sonic assault, and MYTHS' dark, squalling electro/noise turned a few heads. As for Nü Sensae, they turned in their usual strong performance, with bassist/vocalist Andrea Lukic's bellowing sounding extra-throaty on this particular night.
If you haven't seen HEALTH live, you should probably make a point of it next time you get a chance. Some critics have written off the L.A. band as little more than a hipster fashion statement. This is plain wrong, though - they're consummate musicians and performers, and can make a more legitimate claim to musical innovation than just about any high-profile band out there.
Bassist John Famiglietti was a dynamo on stage, manipulating a large array of electronics and jabbing a microphone toward a large speaker cabinet to create feedback, while his band-mates brought forth eerie, wailing vocals and synth lines. Meanwhile, drummer B.J. Miller flailed like a larger, faster, more violent John Bonham, especially during the galloping "Crimewave," HEALTH's break-though 2007 split-single with Crystal Castles, which was, surprisingly, the second song of the set. This had the effect of whipping the crowd into a frenzy, which slowly ebbed and flowed over the rest of the evening.
Following MYTHS' stunning performance the other month at Pat's Pub, opening for an equally experimental band gave the duo the benefit of a more receptive audience. These concertgoers were already expecting some degree of sonic assault, and MYTHS' dark, squalling electro/noise turned a few heads. As for Nü Sensae, they turned in their usual strong performance, with bassist/vocalist Andrea Lukic's bellowing sounding extra-throaty on this particular night.
If you haven't seen HEALTH live, you should probably make a point of it next time you get a chance. Some critics have written off the L.A. band as little more than a hipster fashion statement. This is plain wrong, though - they're consummate musicians and performers, and can make a more legitimate claim to musical innovation than just about any high-profile band out there.
Bassist John Famiglietti was a dynamo on stage, manipulating a large array of electronics and jabbing a microphone toward a large speaker cabinet to create feedback, while his band-mates brought forth eerie, wailing vocals and synth lines. Meanwhile, drummer B.J. Miller flailed like a larger, faster, more violent John Bonham, especially during the galloping "Crimewave," HEALTH's break-though 2007 split-single with Crystal Castles, which was, surprisingly, the second song of the set. This had the effect of whipping the crowd into a frenzy, which slowly ebbed and flowed over the rest of the evening.
