I have been watching Nomo new album, “Ghost Rock” climb emusic.com charts for months. I had listened to a few samples and put it away for a later download.
Last week, I was looking for something to do on my birthday and came across their show at the Earl on Saturday. I marked it on the calendar and kept looking. As Saturday got closer I still had no plans and decided to take a chance on this band. So I started to do a little research on who they are and what they are going to be like. Nothing prepared me for the unbelievable live set they treated us to.
I was so blown away by what I witnessed Saturday night. The crowd had a weird apprehension as all seven band members made their way onto the stage. But as they played their first note from the shell of a conch, the energy in the crowd was palpable. Any group that starts out their session with conch shell is going to be different. They were unbelievably different and brilliant. Afro beat, nu jazz, electronic-experimentalism, or what ever you want to call their art, it is an entirely new genera for me. I have never, and probably will never, witness another performance like that.
Every member deferred to each other as they took turns showcasing their craft. Whether it was baritone sax, alto sax, drums, percussion, guitar, trumpets, keyboards or vocals, each member put everything they had into that set. There wasn’t a member who wasn’t drenched in sweat and physically exhausted at the end. What an unbelievably intimate end to the seat as well. Each grabbed an instrument and made their way into middle of the crowd for once last song. The entire place was chanting with the band. I was talking to my friend Amy during the concert and pointing out that these guys and gals mastered something that many bands don’t. There was no separation between the crowd and the band. Each feed more and more off each other. As the 20 kids in the front danced hard and hard, it seemed like the horns blew longer and stronger. The drums and percussion were faster and louder. And they ended up where it all begins, in the crowd.
Thank you Nomo for a great birthday present. Thank you for an unforgettable performance and unforgettable night. Thank you for opening my ears to entirely new genera. And thank you for making a stop in East Atlanta.
Next up for them is:
JULY 22 2008
@ Emo's Lounge
603 Red River
Austin , TX
$10 | All Ages
www.emosaustin.com
JULY 23 2008
@ Hailey's
122 Mulberry
Denton , TX
$8 | All Ages
www.haileysclub.com
JULY 25 2008
@ Off Broadway
3522 Lemp Ave.
ST Louis , MO
$10 | 18+
www.offbroadwaystl.com
JULY 26 2008
@ Wicker Park Festival
Chicago, IL
$5 Suggested Donation
JULY 27 2008
@ The Waiting Room
6212 Maple Street
Omaha, NE
$10 | All Ages
www.waitingroomlounge.com
JULY 29 2008
@ Quixote's True Blue
2637 Welton St.
Denver, CO
$10 | 18+
www.quixotes.com
JULY 30 2008
@ Belly Up
450 S Galena St.
Aspen, CO
$10 | All Ages
www.bellyupaspen.com
JULY 31 2008
@ Las Montanas
100 E. Colorado St.
Telluride, CO
$10 | 21+
www.llamapresents.com
AUGUST 1 2008
@ First Friday
Casion Center & Colorado St.
Las Vegas, NV
FREE | All Ages
www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org
AUGUST 2 2008
@ Detroit Bar
843 W Nineteenth St.
Costa Mesa, CA
$10 | 21+
www.detroitbar.com
AUGUST 3 2008
@ Spaceland
1717 Silver Lake Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
$8 | 21+
www.clubspaceland.com
AUGUST 4 2008
@ The Casbah
2501 Kettner Blvd
San Diego, CA
$10 | All Ages
www.casbahmusic.com
AUGUST 5 2008
@ Bottom Of The Hill
1233 17th St.
San Francisco, CA
www.bottomofthehill.com
AUGUST 7 2008
@ Doug Fir
830 E Burnside Street
Portland, OR
$10 | 21+
www.dougfirlounge.com
AUGUST 8 2008
@ NW World & Raggae Festival
Bob's Ranch, Mohawk Valley
Marcola, OR
www.nwworldraggae.com
AUGUST 9 2008
@ Nectar Lounge
412 N 36th St.
Seattle, WA
$12 | 21+
www.nectarlounge.com
AUGUST 10 2008
@ Media Club
695 Cambie St.
Vancouver, BC
$12 | 19+
www.themediaclub.ca
AUGUST 14 2008
@ 7th Street Entry
29 North 7th Street
Minneapolis, MN
$7.50 | 18+
www.first-avenue.com
AUGUST 15 2008
@ Annex
1206 Regent Street
Madison, WI
$8 | 18+
www.intheannex.com
AUGUST 22 2008
@ Campus Martius Park
1 Campus Martius
Detroit, MI
All Ages | Free
www.campusmartiuspark.com
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