CMJ 2009: Atlas Sound @ The Music Hall Of Williamsburg

To be able to perform your music to a high technical standard is one thing, but to be able to work the audience to the point of energetic insanity makes a true performer for us.

There must be a point, somewhere in a band's career when they realise how much fun messing with the audience can be. Catch a band early in their days and it's all "this song is, errr, called...", "...visit our MySpace page..." and "...merch at the back after the show..." Give them a few years in front of people and there is comic gold to be mined, a fact of which Cox is acutely aware.  

Commencing their set as a two-piece, Cox and his keyboardist started their night with the peaceful, serene and wilfully obscure "My Halo", packed with the kind of harmonies and melodies that Tim Burton may feature in his nightmares after a late night watching The Beach Boys. Come its conclusion, the three other members took to the stage and brought on the new music. At which point Cox's trademark dry and dark humour got its first outing. "I wrote this next song for my dad" he explained. "He's a great guy, you should all meet him". To which, just like an American sitcom audience, the response went along the onomatopoeic lines of "awwww". One wry smile later and Cox continues, "The songs called Criminal!".

One thing that continues to impress with live performances is if a band has the ability to switch instruments, something that Atlas Sound could do without the slightest problem. During the set we witnessed a wide range of set ups including Cox perching upon the drum throne at one point, which seemingly helps them create a wide range of captivating sounds.The crowd were like caged animals at this point, throwing their hands in the air and making as much noise as humanly possible almost to the point that the experience started to feel surreal. How can five men possibly do this to a thousand people?

After the fifth or sixth song Brad pulled out his capo and started to introduce the next song, at which point a member of the crowd yelled 'London Underground!!!', before the words could even reach Brads ears the capo was back in his pocket and he had started to re-tune. He followed by saying " You do know that this means the gig is off the records from this point onwards. I mean, we've showed you our professionalism and maturity right?... Now you get to see the real Atlas Sound, in fact, get some shots of me being a real rock-star" He pointed at every photographer and started to pull off the most ridiculous stances, to which the crowd could not get enough of. Sixty-nine acts of juvenile delinquency later and the band vigorously broke into "London Underground".

Once the room returned to an audible level, Brad went on to say  "Wow, there's a lot of press here hey? Look at you all wondering around with your orange badges.. can I ask you something? Do you use those cards to rack up your lines?... If so, you should come to one of the after parties, I wanna show you another type of blow"  Then the band sporadically burst into the last song of their set, with this combination of comedy and musicianship the audience once again lost control.

On this very night The Williamsburg Music Hall hosted one of the most respectable and incredible live acts around. We're saying this with absolutely no doubt in sight and with full confidence that this band will only become more prestigious with time.