ARTS

'Sco show dishes out indie rock, local and more

Versus, Tel Aviv, and the Karl Hendricks Trio play 'Sco

by Quintin Cushner

Tel Aviv

The audience at Thursday night's Versus/Tel Aviv/Karl Hendricks Trio show were treated to a powerful display of why indie-rock remains a relevant musical movement. Pittsburgh's Karl Hendricks Trio, who opened the show, were a fantastic power trio whose strengths were its eponymous frontman's driving guitar work and new member Tom Hoffman's intense, hard-hitting drum work. Though often criticized for being too ordinary on record, their tight style worked perfectly live.

Next up were campus favorites Tel Aviv. Minus second guitar player James Kraus (who attends college in Kentucky), the Oberlin College student duo of vocalist/guitar/synthesizer player seniors Andy Comer and vocalist/synthesizer player Raymond Sweeten played a set of dreamy Kraut-rock style tunes that made many forget their earlier Stand and Deliver-sampling days. This band is very, very impressive.

Signed to Mark Robinson's Teenbeat Records, Tel Aviv seem to have a brilliant future ahead of them. Undoubtedly, they will join the ranks of the indie-rock elite (Tortoise, Seam, Come, The Vapors, Trans Am) who have left Oberlin to enjoy considerable cult status.

Headlining the show were New York City's Versus, whose last album Secret Swingers, was released on Caroline Records to minor success. The quartet is made up of bassist/vocalist Fontaine Toups and brothers Ed (drums), James (guitar), and Richard(guitar, vocals). Baluyet played a too short half-hour set which was filled with glorious guitar noise, solid drumming, and the marvelous singing of Toups and Richard Baluyet.

The band, though failing to play the classic "Crazy," wove new and old songs into a cohesive set that left everyone in the room with a sense that all was well in a world where independent rock is increasingly feeling like a fossil. With the considerable help of the Karl Hendricks Trio and Tel Aviv, Versus gave the many students in attendance a night they will long remember.


Photos:
Proud to be an Obie: Teenbeat's Tel Aviv held last night's middle slot.

Wail: NYC's quartet Versus headlined last night's indie rock showcase at the 'Sco.

(photos by Mike Kabakoff)

 

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Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 11, December 5, 1997

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