(Ultra Dolphins' Nate Rappole, Toggle Switch)
(Marnie Stern, Toggle Switch)
(Blonde Redhead's Kazu Makino, Toggle Switch)
Saturday's Campus Chaos show at Old Dominion University was predictably strange, but strangely satisfying. I missed several of the bands that played in the afternoon, but caught a good part of the set by Richmond's hard-hitting Ultra Dolphins. Metal, punk and math rock blend together in the Dolphins' sound. They were very aggressive and very tight. Apparently they've been around for years but have played rarely in Hampton Roads. I hope somebody brings them back soon.
Those guys played on the steps of the Webb Center. Inside, The Love Language, a band from North Carolina was a nice surprise. Their carefully-crafted and artfully arranged indie pop was refreshing after the Dolphins' blast of angry energy. While their sound isn't incredibly original, it's lovely. I'll be reading and listening and learning more about these guys.
Marnie Stern was a bit of a disappointment, though. Her Dokken-meets-The Shaggs sound gets mad points for originality, but way too few points for melody. What she's doing is so interesting I was frustrated that her songs weren't just a little more comprehensible. Also, for someone with amazing chops, her performance was surprisingly sloppy.
Blonde Redhead was great. The trio puts out an amazing amount of intoxicating sound. Their film-soundtrack drama was powerful and beautiful and fun to watch. I'm glad I finally got to see this band, which more than lives up to the promise of its recordings.
Thanks, ODU, for assembling such an entertaining day of music.
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