My Concert Forecast: The Octopus Project
The Octopus Project
Where: Cambridge, MA – Middle East Downstairs
When: Saturday, August 25th, doors @ 8:00 pm
How Much: $15
Every now and then a band comes along and makes you think, “What the fuck is going on in here?” You want to hear more, but you really have no idea what combination of instrumentation and drugs has given birth to what you are listening to. Case in point: The Octopus Project. They’ve been around for a while, and if you haven’t heard them, you’ve probably heard of them. Yes, this is the band where one of the members (Yvonne Lambert) plays Theremin. “What’s that?” you say? To compress the Wikipedia article, it’s an instrument that is played without touching it that responds to your body’s magnetic field. You change volume and pitch by moving your hands around 2 antennas. And before you go off thinking, “Wow, that’s some new-age bullshit,” no it’s not. It’s been around since 1919. It was made popular by none other than Robert Moog (of The Moog Synthesizer) in the United States.
Anyway, enough history. The Octopus Project is described as instrumental indie-rock, but I think they tend to be a little bit dancey – driven by a steady beat for most songs. Some of their stuff is more laid back, pushing more toward feel-good harmonies and vibrations than a steady pounding beat. If you’re in town, check them out – it’s certainly worth a look. If you’re at all against crazy ravers dressed in furry costumes and crazy lights, then maybe this show maybe isn’t for you. It’s also very possible that it won’t be like that at all, which is the way I’m leaning.
I would include mp3s, but they already have a ton from their CDs available on their website. Check them out here. I counted 14 mp3s. If that’s not enough go to the show and buy a CD. I won’t leave you with nothing – here’s some YouTube videos.
Music Is Happiness
@ SXSW
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