Review Sun Jan 03 2010

Review: New Year's Eve @ Double Door with Local H, Electric Six, and White Mystery

By Lisa White

The end of the decade was ushered in like a cryptic end of the world as a sparse countdown clocked asked a sold out crowd at the Double Door "Are you ready to rock?" Scott Lucas, dressed in full spaceman regal, sauntered onto stage as the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey boomed throughout the room, the start of a macabre night of sci-fi, space, and rock 'n' roll.

As the screen flashed visions of Robocop, Local H launched into Daft Punk's "Robot Rock" signaling the start of their futuristic space infused set. Astronaut Lucas was backed by an Ace Frehley lookalike occasionally, and if I'm not mistaken Brian St. Clair was playing the part of Jesus Christ pounding away on the drums. The space themed set was peppered with obvious influences of the band (Pixies, David Bowie), all set to the background of classic Sci-Fi films that ranged from the scary (Alien) to the eerie (2001: A Space Odyssey and AI) to the campy cult classic (Killer Klowns from Outer Space).

The band ended their space set with the rise and fall Pink Floyd's anthem "Eclipse," before surging into their own repertoire, kicking things off with a murky "Hands on the Bible." The band played a mixed set of their catalog, including my personal favorites of the night, "Everyone Alive" and "White Belt Boys." Lucas knows how to command his hometown crowd, his microphone like a pulpit as the sold-out crowd chanted along to numerous songs, a built in backing chorus.

Earlier in the night, before the space odyssey began, the crowd was treated to the campy and aggressive sounds of Electric Six, a favorite at the Double Door. The band walks the fine line between total farce and serious musicianship, pulling it off with total finesse and panache. Electric Six has always been a loud and comical band, throwing in wry offhand comments before dishing out rollicking rock music that bounces along like a kid on a sugar high. When an introduction includes "this song is about cloning, and that is the most 2010 thing I can think of right now," you know they have a offbeat sense of humor. It was loud, you could shimmy along, and I fulfilled a lifelong goal of singing along all the lyrics to "Gay Bar" live. To add to the fun, local garage rockers White Mystery kicked off the night with their gritty fuzzed out sound. The brother/sister duo is charming onstage, and are making the rounds with some upcoming winter shows that you should check out. They are getting ready to put out their full length debut, so keep an eye out for that, grab it, and support your kick-ass local music scene.

As Local H played early into the morning, they cranked out consistently solid tracks, including an impressive cover of "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio. For such a sparse set-up, the massive wall of sound Local H conjures up is impressive, easily sweeping from shimmering guitar solos to heavy hitting drums that rattle deep in the pit of your stomach. The show was the perfect mixture of visual stimulation, showmanship, and brash rock 'n' roll, an ideal combination to ring in a new year. Add in the hosted bar, and you've got one last evening to roll all your vices into one before starting a new year. And isn't that what a good New Year's Eve party is all about?