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| Photo: Emily Bornemann |
Team Coverage
by Allyson Dwyer
#TeamCDM are back at it to save the day again while a certain someone jet sets off to the land of baguettes and Ratatouille.
I had never heard of Prince Rama before. A quick Google and subsequent description of the band had my "hipster bullshit" detectors going off like fireworks (The quick Google search also gave me nightmare flashbacks of college and NYC and the dawn of MGMT); but after hearing a few of their songs on YouTube, I figured why the hell not. It was time I saw something new, especially with the strong recommendation from CoolDad.
Imagine how stupid I feel now. Kids, never judge stuff based on their publicity blurbs. Go see a band live. Especially when they offer to be a bit more entertaining than the normal rock bands we see in Asbury every day (Much love to our bands, but how often do we see something so poppy?).
I learned that Prince Rama is a concept by sisters Taraka and Nimai Larson, that they were "discovered" by Avery Tare of Animal Collective, and that they're now eight albums deep into this project. Looking over their past albums, it seems they're just now finding their voice. And clearly it's working, because the people who did show up to The Saint were pretty devout in their love for this band.
The night started off with a very subdued, calming performance by local artist Geena. Between songs, she spoke to the room like it was a natural conversation, using The Saint's small space as a living room to just strum on her acoustic guitar while her evening was just beginning. The night was still early, but for those there her voice captured the room.
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| Photo: Emily Bornemann |
Following Geena was Wrinkles, a rock-dance band from Missoula, Montana. You don't hear that often; but their music was very much informed by their home turf, as they sang songs about mountains and snow and distance, all backed by a pulsing, electronic beat. They took the stage in what I can only describe as the youth pajama department at Target. Some members wore onesies. All of them wore different colored wigs. They were ready to have a blast.
Even with the room barely full, Wrinkles were full of energy. Each song was a show stopper for them, and they seemed to just be amused to be up on stage doing their thing. The members kind of hopped around, switching instruments and lead singers and places on stage. Later in the night, I would notice pretty much the whole band going crazy over Prince Rama.
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| Photo: Emily Bornemann |
And I won't lie. By the end of the night, I would be too. Emily and I were pretty pooped and were thinking we would try to stay half the set before going to pass out somewhere, but that never happened. We were so transfixed by the whole thing that we just stood in place, sometimes turning to look at each other and laugh and nod our heads like "hell yeah."
The curtain opened, and the three members were clad in neon spandex and fishnets, leggings and neon face paint. Lead singer Taraka's face was bejewelled. Flower crown in hair, she spoke into the mic that modulated her voice to sound deeper, masculine. She looked and felt like a small powerful alien that had just landed on the stage with her band to bestow upon the room the power of music (Strangely, that reminds me of how Flaming Lips shows usually start).
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| Photo: Emily Bornemann |
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| Photo: Emily Bornemann |
I wish words could do this justice, but I doubt it. Looking up their live show on YouTube won't either. I tried. Simply put, Prince Rama is one of those bands you need to see live, and specifically now, when they're playing small rooms where they're able to make intimate connections with the audience. They've been around a while; but I wouldn't be surprised if, over time, they become something bigger. They have that kind of draw. And I feel like this band works best now, like this, in small spaces.
Aside from the spectacle of it all, their music (both recorded and as a live band) measures up to their appearance. The Saint wasn't even half full. But the people who were there, were there knowing every beat drop, every chorus to songs like "Bahia," "Those Who Love Will Live Forever" and "Now Is The Time For Emotion." At one point, Taraka jumped on the back of someone in the audience, who proceeded to run around the room with her as she sang. Somehow she ended up back on stage. She kind of just floated like that. Sister and drummer Nimai was just as mesmerizing, grinning as she stood at her drum kit, jumping up and down and hyping the audience up.
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| Photo: Emily Bornemann |
After being begged for an encore, the band came out again wearing silky robes. Taraka had the room come sit up on stage while the band played an acoustic, more subdued song. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen at a show, and all of this coming from a band that I was ready to write off. I left feeling pretty converted.
[CoolDad Note: Thanks, as always, to Allyson and Emily for covering this show for me. As soon as I saw this on the calendar, I knew it was a good one. Maybe we'll get another thing or two up here from guests while I'm away. I'll post the rest of Emily's pictures when I'm off of this hotel wifi. Off to London in the morning. Au revoir.]
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