Venue: The Drunken Unicorn
Support: Toro Y Moi, Oryx & Crake
In the Company of: Thomas S.
Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, The Ruby Suns are a long way from home to be playing in such a tiny venue. Atlanta’s Drunken Unicorn is a signless hole-in-the-wall reserved for up-and-comers, mostly local. But once in a while, a band comes through these doors with a bit more to offer. Leader and native Californian Ryan McPhun moved to New Zealand in 2004. Formerly of the Brunettes, McPhun is a multi-instrumentalist who has crafted some nice psychedelic pop songs with a touch of the tropics transported here from NZ.
Touring in support of their third studio album, Fight Softly (Sub Pop), the Ruby Suns spun some foot-tapping songs combining indie rock with world beats. At times, all three members were banging on drums. But usually, the tunes were made up of two synths and a drummer. With danceable beats and McPhun’s smooth voice, it frequently seemed as if all these people were enjoying an 80s new wave performance…in Hawaii. Song highlights included “Olympics On Pot,” “Kenya Dig It?,” “There Are Birds,” and “Cranberry.”
While the Unicorn was not packed to the rafters, it should have been. It was a rainy Monday night, but still, many music fans missed out on this show. Go to www.myspace.com/therubysuns to find out where the Suns will be playing near you. It’s a cheap ticket for a great show.
Opening the show was the hugeness of Oryx & Crake from Atlanta. Just think Arcade Fire meets Broken Social Scene, simply due to the volume of members and the sound they created. On this night in Atlanta, eight people crowded the tiny stage of the Unicorn. Fans experienced the likes of drums, guitars, violin, banjo, keyboards, etc. throughout the set. With fine voices and musicianship all around, Oryx & Crake have a promising future (http://www.myspace.com/oryxandcrakeband).
In the on-deck slot was Toro Y Moi, a.k.a. Chaz from Columbia, SC. Hot off his performance at Austin’s SXSW show (along with The Ruby Suns), this artist is gaining fans and attention. Associated most recently with the chill wave and glo-fi movement, TYM has etched out a unique place all for himself. With a 95% synth-created performance (and 5% guitar), he definitely stood out from the other two bands. Maybe best known for his cover of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” (which he did not play), Chaz is so much more. Catch up with him at http://www.myspace.com/toroymoi.
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