Mono/World's End Girlfriend/The Drift @ The Middle East Downstairs - 4/12/07

I came in halfway through The Drift's set and was pleasantly surprised by the groups laid back, jazz-inspired sound. The group had the occasional trumpet, backed up by smooth drumming and a stand up bass leading the way.

One man act, World's End Girlfriend, took the stage next with his laptop/guitar combination. Backed by glitchy drum machine beats and looped and extremely processed guitar sounds, Katsuhiko Maeda created a subdued, but enthralling atmosphere with his compositions.

Japanese rockers Mono didn't say a word and they didn't have to. Their music, which is almost like a mix of classical and rock, rang out and the group simply let their instruments do the talking. I don't have a set list, but I know they ended with "Halcyon" and played some tracks of their newest album, You Are There. The members of the band seemed so enthralled by their own playing and truly put everything they had into their performance. The group's large sound could be transformed into a quiet, simple guitar line and before you even realize what has happened, they've transitioned into a whole other style. This is the second time I have seen them and I highly recommend you catch them on their current tour. Dates can be found here.

More photos on the flickr page.

The Drift





World's End Girlfriend





Mono