Quiet Lights, ARMS & Caveman at Cameo Gallery (Lovin’ Cup) 4/16/10

Caveman band. Play music. It good.

The very back corner of the Lovin’ Cup in Williamsburg is a tall metal box of a room with a giant koosh ball hanging from the ceiling, over a small, stark stage drenched in sparkling light. The bartender lives behind a little box office window in the corner of this space pod, and he pops up like a Twin Peaks character, offering you a Miller High Life and a shot of Bourbon out of the tiny plastic cups of church communion fame, for five dollars. Then he disappears again.

Who knew this future-vessel with stellar drink specials was tucked into the back of the speakeasy-spirited Lovin- Cup on 6th and Berry? … Ok, I did. But I hadn’t been there until this weekend, when I was forced out of my bedroom by the magnetism of Todd Goldstein of ARMS. I’d been wanting to see ARMS play live since first listen: “Heat and Hot Water,” off their new self-titled EP. The sound is soft reverb pop-rock like a summer night, with sweet, intimately delivered vocals and expert hooks. On long subway trips with ARMS on repeat, I’d fallen in deep, deep love with Goldstein’s straight-forward lyrical style and syrupy voice. So even though I got lost  at two wrong G train stops in the cold rain and ended up having to take a cab there, seeings ARMS perform was essential to my life this past weekend.

The show opened with a band led by a woman in amazing pants. The stage is set so high, it’s a bit hard not to stare at people’s legs, and so I did. But this is appropriate behavior when listening to music I’d describe (after much deliberation with my friends) as Nu-gaze (no oomlout, sadly.) As you kknow, Shoegaze is a genre based in late eighties, early-nineties drug pop characterized by driving, pedal heavy walls of sound that inspire eyes rolling back in heads, slight hypnosis, etc. Nu-gaze is … a new interpretation and/or modern rendering of the same idea? …. I think? And the percussion is to die for– deep bass, slow, nearly tribal. So I stared at her pants, these magnificent bell-bottoms, and I let rumination on what the hell “nu-gaze” might actually be slip in and out of my mind. Quiet Lights was ethereal, to say the least, with heavily reverbed vocals that sound dewy-fresh and childlike. Check out the song, “Quiet truth, Weapons Thrown,” @ bandcamp.com to get a feel for this group.

ARMS took stage, and something of a crowd materialized. What I like about this band is their nuance- a lot of what is done in production really turns me on. I prefer a subtle synth line to a “jam-out” guitar solo, no question. But what was so pleasing live, with ARMS, was their ability to keep their class and nuance while really filling the room with sound. (And also, Todd Goldstein is the spitting image of my future husband.) A highlight, for me, was hearing “Shitty Little Disco” live (play track at Hype Machine here.) This song is as catchy, poignant and classic pop a you can get. Goldstein and bassist Matty Fasano produce some refined vocal harmonies live, which is no small task when loud instruments are involved.

So after shattering my Miller High Life on the floor due to toxic levels of enthusiasm and then taking a (“cold shower”) cigarette break, I returned to the mystical back room just in time to hear Caveman self-deprecate and be casual and charming, then nonchalantly break into a pretty tight, polished set that would stop you in your tracks on Bedford Avenue if you heard it coming out of a record shop. I mean, check out the song “Decide,” on Caveman’s Myspace here. They have such a lovely, echoed lo-fi sound. I believe the band is somewhat newly formed. I gather this from something they mentioned in their stage banter and because I have their set list from that night in my purse, and more than one song began with “New Jam # …,” which I find incredibly endearing.

Altogether, the night was surreal and gratifying. I’d highly recommend adding Cameo to your list of pleasant venues at which to see quality independent artists. And don’t forget to wiki Nu-gaze tonight when you can’t think of what other enlightenment you could possibly glean from the inter-web. The endless shoots of bands you haven’t thought about it a while and will now be downloading is definitely worth the effort.