This past Friday I found myself huddled outside Great Scott, case patiently awaiting the 10pm door time for Vermont-based band Zammuto. As we were let in to appreciate the modern miracle of indoor heating and Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” over the house system, rx I made note of the fact that, within five minutes of doors, this place was already better attended than some club shows at peak hours. Also, cake! Between the time it took this writer to procure a beverage, seemingly everyone in the room was enjoying a slice of cake. As it turns out, this show was partly a birthday celebration for Zammuto bassist Mikey Zammuto.
Starting the evening off was the Nashville by way of Brooklyn by way of Kansas City –well, seemingly from a LOT of places – Barnaby Bright. Occasionally, before attending a show, I’m not able to check out the opening act online. So I went into the night without any preconceived notions for this group. And with that said, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. Consisting of the husband and wife team of Rebecca (Vocals, keys, ukelele, harmonium) and Nathan Bliss (Guitar, vocals), Barnaby Bright mixes a modern indie aesthetic with an almost traditional and rootsy folk songcraft.
Delicate, live harmonies morphed into pained, passionate crooning as pre-recorded vocal loops danced in and around. Rebecca played with an intimate intensity that, especially on the piano heavy songs, brought Regina Spektor to mind, while Nathan seemed to channel Lindsey Buckingham with his technical prowess on the acoustic guitar. Songs such as “Spotlight”, and “Gravity” were performed with such flawless execution and musicianship that there were moments that I had to remind myself that I was listening to a live performance.
Utilizing various instruments (including a digital stomp activated kick drum, hand operated pump organ, and the previously mentioned vocal samples), Barnaby Bright produces a sound that defies their visual presentation. On a few songs, however, they were joined onstage by both their friend Rachel on cello, and Sean (Dixon, of Zammuto) on drums. The added benefit of live accompaniment definitely added to the experience, but Barnaby Bright seems to be one of the rare groups that excels in either scenario.
It should be noted that, between sets, those lucky enough to have stepped outside were witnesses to the following exchange, which I feverishly, and covertly transcribed into my phone :
Gentleman of Questionable Sanity: “What’s the only thing that goes up and never goes down?”
Confused, Inebriated College Kid: “….uh…what?”
GQS: “Don’t you know Isaac Newton?!”
CICK [after several, painfully awkward moments]: “…age?”
GQS: “AGE!!! Actual, factual matter. You better, boo? Bidda bing, bidda BAND! [pointing to his head] The greatest computer in the WORLD!”
…Alright, back to the task at hand.
The main attraction of the night, for which the majority of the attendees were seemingly present, was Zammuto. Hailing from rural Vermont, this group was founded by singer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Zammuto after the breakup of his notable previous band The Books.
The band members, scattered in various positions around the stage, were the soundtrack to their sometimes otherworldly visual component — A large projection screen. The music began with somber, melancholic chord swells as corresponding imagery flashed upon the screen above. Nick Zammuto, employing an eery, leslie-affected vocal, led the group from behind a rack of keyboard equipment as images of their native Vermont, tempo-mapped microscope findings, and even slow motion tennis matches were glowing up above.
Zammuto contains all the trappings of atmospheric indie rock. Songs like “Great Equater” off of their album Anchor (Temporary Residence, 2014) are pure headphone candy. What sets them apart from other bands of their ilk is that while some artists who create similar soundscapes fall short in a live setting, Zammuto knows how to translate their compositions live. They present musically complex ideas and instill a sense of energy that keeps the crowd along for the ride (which is a feat that many a prog/math band fails to accomplish). This may have been a familiar crowd, but they were cheering along reactively with drum breaks nonetheless.
Which brings me to who, I feel, was the star of their set — drummer Sean Dixon. Set to the side of the stage, Dixon was a pure pleasure to watch. His playing was as inventive as it was technically impressive. At one point he changed out his hi hats for a better suited pair, placing the previous set upon his floor tom and secondary snare, providing unique, unconventional rhythmic sounds that made it plain to see that this was a musician who truly saw his drum set as a versatile instrument and not just something to bludgeon along to a beat.
And “unconventional” seems to be an appropriate term for Zammuto. Existing somewhere in a space between genres, their groove based songs would be at home blasting through a stereo at a house party, while their more contemplative numbers would be equally appropriate for a solitary night drive through the backwoods of their home state.
As serious and earnest as their material was, another refreshing aspect of Zammuto’s live show was the comical use of their projection screen. Toward the end of their set, the band added their own accompaniment to some early 90’s era infomercials, complete with voiceover. The crowd laughed along to an advertisement for a product simply called “The Stick”, as well as an uncomfortably awkward video of balloon animals being created by someone wearing a vest that I can only describe as Jonathan Taylor Thomas-esque (which is immediately the best and worst description I’ve ever had to employ with the written word).
The band closed out their set in similar fashion, playing along with a video tutorial on how to play “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on the auto harp, which had been re-edited in a manic fashion that would make Tim and Eric proud.
All in all, I left Great Scott with a new appreciation for two talented groups with which I wasn’t previously familiar. Which, when you think about it… is something we should all try to do more often. Yes? Yes.
You can check out both bands below: