BIGGER = BETTER?

posted in: Features • Music News

I hope you enjoyed reading Tuesday’s warm and fuzzy post about the sensibilities of stripped-down pop song covers because it’s time to pay tribute to the enveloping sonic POW generated by freakishly large bands. While there are significant monetary drawbacks in terms of diminished royalties per person and increased touring expenses (not to mention inevitable feuding egos), bands that overcome these potential issues earn a unique spot in today’s music scene. The sounds bellowing from 10+ musician acts”national and local alike”are incredibly revitalizing. And with more people on stage, achieving a feeling of intimacy in a live setting is actually easier than one would expect. Instead of the David and Goliath proportioning of musician vs. audience, the concert setting transforms into one enormous community.
And the musicians instantly become more connected.

Aside from producing an enhanced concert experience, the big advantage of the larger band is diversified instrumentation. While many of the big bands swell their numbers with brass and string sections like OurStage’s own groovy Latin crew Pedro Eca e os Franco Atiradores, bands like The Polyphonic Spree are able to branch out and make use of all those obscure instruments usually only uncovered in music dictionaries. With 12 individual instruments, this mini rock symphony makes use of a choir consisting anywhere from 6-10 people. They even employ the futuristic Theremin, a badge of honor among audiophiles.

Impulsive performers Broken Social Scene frequently perform with 10+ members on stage, and like a musical jack-in-the-box, you never can predict just how many of them will appear until the first note is strung. In contrast to The Polyphonic Spree, BSS enhances their music with multiple musicians playing the same instrument (i.e. a plethora of guitar and percussion players). With the dense layers of sounds floating in the background, you’re sure to get lost in the aural beauty of their contemplative melodies and nostalgic storytelling.

Instead of loading up on instruments, ragged Boston rockers Bang Camaro rage on stage with the relatively simple core foundation of guitars, bass and drums along with their secret ingredient: 8-12 vocalists. And, nearly paralleling the Trans Siberian Orchestra, 10 member OurStage group Anunnaki brilliantly unites the instrumentally opposing genres of orchestral and prog rock. Live acts move beyond the musical realm with Cloud Cult. This indie rock septet consists of two artists that paint on stage using the performance vibes of the night as their inspiration. With so many possibilities, give these unusual formations a chance! You never know just what might happen.