Show Tomorrow!
My new timeslot starts this week-- my radio show is now from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (PST). This semester, I'm really pushing myself to find new music every week; the goal is to play material that is literally as new to me as it is to you guys. Be sure to tune in!
I'll have my playlist for tomorrow up before the end of the day.
Starfucker KILLS IT.
When asked if Portland band Starfucker (STRFKR) had anything they’d like to mention about their show, drummer Kiel Corcoran had one thing to say:
“I think Ian here would make a really good Vulcan.”
The newest member of the band, Ian Luxton, pulled back his hair to show off an unabashedly Vulcan face-shape. It was easy to see how the fun personalities of the band members translated into practically sold-out show.
“Yeah, my dad watches Star Trek, and they actually used the Star Trek font on the posters,” vocalist Josh Hodges added. “I thought that was pretty funny.”
The band performed to a packed house at the Bell Tower Monday night, with a little help from local bands Yarn Owl and Rythmmemory.
The line of excited fans trailed out the door and around the corner onto E Main St. at 8 p.m., catching the attention of many passing cars—several of which stopped to inquire what was happening at the venue that night.
“I had no idea this many people liked STRFKR,” one show-goer said to a friend. “There are so many people here.”
The turnout was a shock for all those involved. Several audience members drove from Moscow to see the show. Each band seemed to draw its own crowd.
“We were very pleasantly surprised with the show,” STRFKR bassist/keyboardist Shawn Glassford said. “We were actually taking bets on how many people were going to be here. I think the highest number was 41. I won.”
Over 300 people showed up for the show—making for a hot, crowded and ultimately ideal show experience. Moscow band, Rhythmmemory started off the evening with a short set of ambient electronic music that actively engaged the crowd. By the time Rhythmmemory members Mike Siemens and Ian Corrigan played their electro rework of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” most of the audience was dancing.
“That’s the one I was really nervous about,” Siemens said of the track. “Everyone knows it, that could go any way, really.”
Yarn Owl followed suit, delivering strong, feel-good indie rock for a noticeably rowdier audience. It’s hard to not draw comparisons between vocalist Javier Suarez and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (though Koenig does not have Suarez’s smoothness). The band played such tunes as “Respite,” the tight harmonies came through pretty cleanly through the wobbly BellTower speakers. This show was particularly bittersweet for the members of Yarn Owl, as it was the last show they will play in Pullman before the members go their separate ways.
“As cheesy as it’s going to sound, I’m glad we played our last show here in Pullman,” drummer Theodore Powers said.
By the time STRFKR hit the stage, the room was absolutely packed with energy. Several audience members held onto the speakers—if for no other reason but to make sure they didn’t fall on any of the people dancing frantically in the front row. True to their word, STRFKR delivered a party atmosphere, complete with disco-esque strobe and laser lights.
The audience activity level bumped up to nearly crowdsurfing levels by the time they performed “Bury Us Alive,” which, as promised in the band’s interviews with other publications, was beyond the quality of the album.
“The whole thing went amazing, actually,” Glassford added. “I felt like we had some problems with sound and we showed up late and didn’t actually get to [sound] check or anything, but it just went great.”
“I think Ian here would make a really good Vulcan.”
The newest member of the band, Ian Luxton, pulled back his hair to show off an unabashedly Vulcan face-shape. It was easy to see how the fun personalities of the band members translated into practically sold-out show.
“Yeah, my dad watches Star Trek, and they actually used the Star Trek font on the posters,” vocalist Josh Hodges added. “I thought that was pretty funny.”
The band performed to a packed house at the Bell Tower Monday night, with a little help from local bands Yarn Owl and Rythmmemory.
The line of excited fans trailed out the door and around the corner onto E Main St. at 8 p.m., catching the attention of many passing cars—several of which stopped to inquire what was happening at the venue that night.
“I had no idea this many people liked STRFKR,” one show-goer said to a friend. “There are so many people here.”
The turnout was a shock for all those involved. Several audience members drove from Moscow to see the show. Each band seemed to draw its own crowd.
“We were very pleasantly surprised with the show,” STRFKR bassist/keyboardist Shawn Glassford said. “We were actually taking bets on how many people were going to be here. I think the highest number was 41. I won.”
Over 300 people showed up for the show—making for a hot, crowded and ultimately ideal show experience. Moscow band, Rhythmmemory started off the evening with a short set of ambient electronic music that actively engaged the crowd. By the time Rhythmmemory members Mike Siemens and Ian Corrigan played their electro rework of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” most of the audience was dancing.
“That’s the one I was really nervous about,” Siemens said of the track. “Everyone knows it, that could go any way, really.”
Yarn Owl followed suit, delivering strong, feel-good indie rock for a noticeably rowdier audience. It’s hard to not draw comparisons between vocalist Javier Suarez and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (though Koenig does not have Suarez’s smoothness). The band played such tunes as “Respite,” the tight harmonies came through pretty cleanly through the wobbly BellTower speakers. This show was particularly bittersweet for the members of Yarn Owl, as it was the last show they will play in Pullman before the members go their separate ways.
“As cheesy as it’s going to sound, I’m glad we played our last show here in Pullman,” drummer Theodore Powers said.
By the time STRFKR hit the stage, the room was absolutely packed with energy. Several audience members held onto the speakers—if for no other reason but to make sure they didn’t fall on any of the people dancing frantically in the front row. True to their word, STRFKR delivered a party atmosphere, complete with disco-esque strobe and laser lights.
The audience activity level bumped up to nearly crowdsurfing levels by the time they performed “Bury Us Alive,” which, as promised in the band’s interviews with other publications, was beyond the quality of the album.
“The whole thing went amazing, actually,” Glassford added. “I felt like we had some problems with sound and we showed up late and didn’t actually get to [sound] check or anything, but it just went great.”
Starfucker coming to Pullman
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| Photo by Sarah Cass |
STRFKR consists of vocalist Joshua Hodges, Ryan Biornstad on guitar and turntables, Shawn Glassford on bass, and Keil Corcoran on drums. Each band member also dabbles in a few other instruments.
The band released their sophomore album "Reptilians" on March 8, 2011. The album produces a solid blend of pop and electronic sound with plenty of synthesizers and beats to satisfy both the need to relax and to dance. The album found fast hits in “Julius” and “Bury Us Alive,” with the Pitchfork Review calling the latter, “the kind of rabbit hole that bands like 'Bear in Heaven' should think about heading down more often.” Their sound has garnered comparisons to the bands Passion Pit and MGMT with occasional similarities to Of Montreal peeking through on tracks like “Reptilians.” STRFKR has a history of memorable, high-energy performances—some occasionally involving stage diving and women’s clothing. They focus heavily on audience interaction and attempt to make every performance a party.
“It's weird that people even come to shows now that XBOX and the Internet exist," Hodges said to Seattle Weekly in 2009. "It's really easy to find entertainment without leaving your house. That's why we try to make our shows as fun as possible."
Reptilians was met with mixed reviews by critics, with the main complaint being the band’s choice of name. Pitchfork claims, “...it’s almost as if they picked the name to dare people to listen to their record.” Such blogs as Pretty Much Amazing and The AV Club can’t seem to get past STRFKR's moniker although AV Club managed to rate the album an “A,” stating that “really good bands can have stupid names.” Hodges insists that the name was unintentional.
“I didn’t think it was going to last more than a few shows,” Hodges said. "It was just a small project. I named it Starfucker because people always make up weird phrases and shit like that. Had I known I'd keep getting asked to play, I wouldn't have chosen such a stupid name."
They attempted to change their name several times, trying out PYRAMID and Pyramiddd, before settling on STRFKR again, not wanting to backpedal the recognition the band had already earned. Their self-titled first album received public attention when Target featured their song “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” in its 2009 “Pink Pepto” commercial.
The band has also undergone a lineup change, with Ian Luxton added to the band to play a variety of instruments including flute. When they sat down with the blog Buzzine for an interview last week, they made it clear that they aim to expand their sound, but that fun is still their number one priority.
“We like to let people forget about their mundane life for a minute,” Biornstad said. “Just let go for a second, and enjoy themselves and not think about work or Japan falling into the ocean, or all the BS that’s going on.”
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