by Lauren Viera
As if you needed another reason to escape Oberlin nightlife (or lack thereof), consider&emdash; yet again &emdash; all the wonders that Cleveland has to offer. But, don't stop short with the obvious; search a little, explore, or to put it simply, get yourself lost. And just when you've had enough aimless driving through low-fi residential life in the less prosperous neighborhoods of C-city, make your way to 4311 Lorain Road, and find yourself at Speak in Tongues.
A shelter for the underground and indie acts cruising the streets of Ohio, Speak in Tongues is actually a three-story house, complete with ground-level stage and kitchen/bar, in addition to lofty accommodations for its touring visitors. A beat oasis for the dehydrated fans of a good live show, the club is a haven for concert-goers adventurous enough to step through its large wooden doors and take a listen.
Wednesday's adventure, despite the attractiveness of Cleveland spontaneity, did have a focus: Satisfact &emdash; the band in question; the key holders of an enticing show. The name alone rolls off the tongue in a groove, initiating an understanding for precision, coordination and an immaculate expansion of the ordinary into something rewarding and content.
Their music mirrors all these aspects, throwing observers into the deepest, darkest corners of eclectic, odd pop music, highlighted by psychedelic synthesizers and a catchy drum and bass combo.
Though not disappointing, Wednesday's show might have been richer had a larger audience been present, instead of the 15 people present. Nonetheless, the handful that did attend must have had the inside word on the remarkable quartet, who delivered their set respectfully despite opportunities to slack off that a small audience might invite.
The show sputtered to a start with a film-like effect: lights dimmed; a preview-like "check, check" escaping from singer/guitarist Matt Steinke; a few odd noises of tuning guitars and drum rattles like the focusing of a picture.
And then, without warning, the show began.
As if someone finally remembered to put the plug in the socket, Satisfact were alive at once, immediately immersing the audience into the first number, "Demonstration."
All previews of faltered starts were forgotten: the sound was tight and fully colored with catchy bass, steady yet creative drum work, and of course, those luscious synthesized melodies; all simultaneously reminding listeners that this was no ordinary night for live music; this was Satisfact.
True, in the presence of an intimate audience, there was some lenience in the set's structure, but each time they asked each other "What do you think we should play next?" the band would come back, in full force, proving their worth through every aspect of the live set.
Tunes were delivered with confidence and energy; each part collaborating with the others for full, swingy electric effect, highly catchy vocals and innocuous echoed pleasure, all the while vented through these music machines staring back at us from the stage, with seemingly effortless effect.
Never out of sync, propelling the audience further into the set, carving deeper with every song, boredom was taboo. Climatic, the set was not; rather, a continuous stretch of quipped numbers, pulling the audience along as they went. And then, after 50 minutes of this personally intensified set, Satisfact stopped.
"It's kinda like you guys just came to see us practice," said Steinke of the evening's low turnout. He was now more relaxed, sipping a cup of coffee at one of Cleveland's finer 24-hour diners, The Big Egg. On the flipside, perhaps a low pressure show is the best way to encompass Satisfact: barriers down and in the raw.
Though often dubbed as '80s new wave reincarnated, Steinke and band mates are hesitant to be pinned down just yet.
"It doesn't bother me that people call us [a new wave band] because that's pretty representational of the record we just made," he explained of the band's August debut album, The Unwanted Sounds of Satisfact. "The stuff that we're doing now is a little bit more cohesive to what we all bring into the group ... We're not nostalgic or anything."
Classifications aside, Satisfact are an intelligent foursome of men who joined together in Olympia, Wash., less than a year ago, and tonight, they share a New York City gig with Dub Narcotic Sound System. For such a young band, there is already an obvious familiarity between the four members, which perhaps adds even more coherency to their live show.
Steinke and synthesizer master Chad States had a side project (which States swears is still on-going) called Fifteen Minutes&emdash;their self-described experimental four-track work that began as filler while hanging out together, and evolved into what is recognized today as Satisfact.
"At first it wasn't that serious; we had all just talked about [forming the band]," Steinke says. The pair buckled down and recruited a mutual friend Josh Warren on bass, and Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green. "I remember the first day I met Matt, [Modest Mouse] was having practice," Green recalls. "Yeah, and I thought you were really weird because you would chase me around with English muffins," is Steinke's random response. All in company laugh, but no more is mentioned of this bizarre anecdote.
Despite these and other unexplainable oddities, Satisfact deliver unique, in-depth noise, capable of pleasing any all-embracing Obie, new wave or not.
Not your wonderwall: The American boys from Satisfact
strike a pose
