In the first of what I hope will become many reviews
for the one and only Ripple Effect, I was given the opportunity to catch a show
at the Elbo Room [http://www.elbo.com/]
in San Francisco on March 29th. Mondo Drag's album release party for their
latest, "The Occultation of Light" on Riding Easy Records [http://www.ridingeasyrecs.com/].
Supporting Mondo Drag that evening were two other Oakland based bands - Fine Points and Queen Crescent.


Queen Crescents gear was quickly cleared and Mondo
Drag took the stage; Keyboardist/Vocalist John Gamino moved from the shadows
his keyboard rig - a huge Hammond XK1 rested above what I assume was a Fender
Rhodes organ - a sign of the deliciously warm sounds to come. To the side of
the organs were 2 smaller synths and other gear. We were treated by an opening
of Initiation, a winding 6 minute jam with a mid-section of solos traded
between keys and guitar. As this was their album release party, they seemed to
play mostly songs from "The Occultation of Light", which is an
absolute stunner of an album, somehow improving upon last year’s self-titled
release. Giving us a performance that did not disappoint, Mondo Drag weaved through their set almost effortlessly. As each song made
its myriad dynamic shifts, everyone on stage looked comfortable and ready for
the next. Drummer Ventura Garcia and Bassist Andrew O'Neil gallop along ever so
hypnotically, allowing Gamino's keys and the guitar of Jake Shely to slowly
build tension filled landscapes, aided by guitarist/synth-man Nolan Girard's
rhythm guitar and spacey Moog sounds.
When listening to Mondo Drag, one can't help but think
of the organ heavy prog masters of days gone by; Uriah Heep, Deep Purple,
Floyd. The songs truly make you feel like you've traveled back in time for a
night. Impeccable songwriting, to say the least. The harmonic textures put
together in these songs are so rich and refreshing. I can imagine the amount of
time these guys spend obsessing over each song, arranging and re-arranging,
composing and scrapping and recomposing and rearranging. John briefly addressed
the crowd near the end of their set to thank everyone and effectively say
goodbye before they head to Europe for the
next leg of their tour. Someone in the crowd, whom I assume was a friend of the
band, frantically handed a gift-wrapped vinyl to John. A Keith Emerson (RIP)
signed copy of an Emerson, Lake & Palmer album. Fitting. They pressed on
for another song or two, playing I believe 8 in total, ending the show shortly
after midnight.
As most of the crowd dispersed I headed to the merch
table and picked up 2 copies of Queen
Crescent's LP and chatted with Andrea and Amy for
a quick minute while they graciously signed the LPs. I was also lucky enough to
snag a copy of Mondo Drag's self-titled, but was only able to find 3 of them to
have them sign it. Regardless, I now have those to force upon the ears of
guests in my home.
-Mattie
-Mattie
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