LOOK MEXICO, BAND MARINO @ The Pike Room, Pontiac, MI 3/8/08 Show Review by Corey Schmidt
As my years of reviewing music pile on, I can already feel myself becoming more and more jaded in relation to this scene. Sure, I get stoked on records and bands for a certain amount of time, but it seems like I always end up reverting to the same old stuff at the end of the day. At an age where one would normally be at the peak of their show-going days, I already feel unmotivated by upcoming concert listings whether it's because of the venue, the supporting bands, or the drive. However, there are definitely exceptions: those bands where something just feels right. It feels sincere. It feels like quality. If you read the title of this entry, you know I'm talking about LOOK MEXICO.
In the summer of last year, these Floridians planted a loving seed in the hearts of nearly the entire PastePunk staff when they released This Is Animal Music, a light-hearted affair that brings to mind mid-90s emo with a current twist. Moreover, the music on that record has a genuine vibe - something that is translated to both their real-life personalities and live show. But before all of that, another Florida-based group by the name of BAND MARINO had the chance to showcase their unique brand on indie folk rock.
Led by playful frontman Nathan Bond, BAND MARINO played an all-around solid set of songs mostly from their most recent record, The Sea And The Beast. The lullaby-esque "Chasing Rainbows" was top-notch, and I felt that they nailed personal favorite "Feel It In The Air." One of the most spirited performances came during "Como Se Dice Senorita, Act 1: The Layman's Lament" where the band scattered throughout the venue during the song's slowest parts. On record, the song truly has spirited energy, and the band had no problem topping that vibe in a live setting. In addition to generally playing all of the songs well, they had no trouble adding theatrics that included a bit of acting during a few songs. All in all, BAND MARINO are an incredibly classy yet fun-going group of guys whose performance matched that description to a 't'.
LOOK MEXICO set up quickly thereafter on the modest stage at The Pike Room. On a venue note, this was my first time to The Pike Room in Pontiac, and it was a decidedly awesome little venue with pretty rad sound. Moving on, the boys started right up with "Done And Done" from Animal Music. While a plurality of the songs were from the album, the band included some instrumental interludes as well as three new songs that varied things a bit. Other top notch tunes from the record that were played were "You Come Into My House, While I Sleep?," "It's Been A Long Time Since I Smelled Beautiful," and "You Ever Get Punched In The Face For Talking Too Much." With little break time in-between songs, the band opted to come out onto the floor to rest and sit with the fans during what I believe was the instrumental "Guys, I Need A Helicopter." The band's interaction with the crowd was respectable, especially at this moment.
As far as the actual performance went, the band sounded spot-on. Drummer Joshua Mikel hardly got a break as he banged away in the back, bassist Tyson Kuhlhoff was the most energetic and crazy of the bunch, and guitartist Ryan Slate remained calm and collected while performing his wizardry. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Agrella brought it all together with his honest approach, acting as the metaphorical cherry to his bandmates collective sundae.
If there is one thing to be said about LOOK MEXICO's live show as a whole, it's that it's considerably more intense than their recorded work. I think it comes as a result of Mikel's presence on the drums, but whatever it may be, it definitely works to their advantage. I tip my hat to those fellas for not only performing solidly, but also for their positive demeanor on stage and off. The realities of being a touring indie band are tough, and they seemed unphased by this in the presense of their fans. Overall, when we talk about those special bands, we are talking about bands like LOOK MEXICO. If only a quarter of the bands currently in my "to review pile" could adopt LOOK MEXICO's poise, perhaps we wouldn't be so jaded after all.
