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Written by Jared Hecht
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Wednesday, 31 January 2007 |
The Mean Fiddler, New York, NY
January 19, 2007
T’was the first snow of winter in New York City and the Mean Fiddler beckoned. The Indobox, a quartet consisting of Mike Carter, Joe Zarick, Steve Learson and Quinn Ferree, packed the midtown club to what seemed like maximum occupancy. A 1AM start time did not detract the pack of energized and enthusiastic “BoxHeads” from coming out to party. In fact, the cold snowy weather and late-night elements encouraged fans to bask in the shelter and warmth of the club and as the opening bass synthesizer line of “Catcher in the Red” began, the heads started to bob and the lyrics belched from every direction.
The only time I had seen The Indobox previously was at Camp Bisco V for a brief set. Since then, the band, which aptly characterizes its sound as “dance rock,” has taken off, tightening its compositions and harmonies and developing catchy dance and trance elements. Hailing from Boston, MA, The Indobox sounds like a product of the ‘90s, its combination of styles evocative of Weezer, 311 and Radiohead. They also manage to incorporate “happy trance,” a fast paced, major-key themed dance groove.
“Graffiti,” a rock song resembling something from 311’s Soundsystem, took off and flawlessly segued into “The Right Time.” The Indobox provide dual lead guitar lines and melodies and vocally harmonize with clarity, though it was difficult to distinguish when one song ended and the next began, which can be attributed to their remarkable capability of segueing seamlessly from song to song while maintaining their “dance rock” vibe.
Venturing into “Chemical Rose”>“1987”>“Chemical Rose,” the band concluded its performance with a dub-like trance jam evolving into a dueling climactic guitar solo. Guitarist Mike Carter managed to break a string in the final minutes of his solo while continuing to shred. As The Indobox sings, “At the right time, take over the night,” they seem to have predicted their own future.
Setlist: Catcher in the Red, Graffiti, The Rite Time, Out on the Run, T.V., UFO, Chemical Rose, 1987, Chemical Rose
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