sounds of silence
The smoky enclave on the second floor of the Edinburgh Castle
buzzed with a different energy Friday night. In contrast to the
usual murmur of lethargic indie types, Brown-Star's singer,
Moon Trent, chatted and glad-handed like a hummingbird. This show
marked the return of the band's original bassist, Consuelo
Ramirez, and spirits were consequently high throughout the set.
Trent provided so much manic energy and intensity that it took your
mind off the fact that Brown-Star has no drummer.
Championing "quietcore" (as Trent puts it), Brown-Star features the
singers clear-as-a-bell voice, which has both range and power. He
ranted like a petulant child and sang in a pristine uppper
register on "Don't Look Back". Not only did his Dutch-boy haircut
swing like a metronome as he howled his lines, but his stomping
feet added a percusive element.
Guitarist Brett Klinker seemed to prefer open chords, and
he coaxed melodies from each one. His subtle playing and precise
rythms made his sound larger than the playing of most power-chord
Goliaths. Ramirez was sorely missed during her hiatus; her backing
vocals on the cover of Culture Club's "Church of the Poison Mind"
drew smiles from all ends of the room. Brown-Star play with 7th Betty
Fri/29, 10 p.m., Edinburgh Castle, 950 Geary, S.F. Free, (415)
885.4074 (Howard Myint)
The smoky enclave on the second floor of the Edinburgh Castle
buzzed with a different energy Friday night. In contrast to the
usual murmur of lethargic indie types, Brown-Star's singer,
Moon Trent, chatted and glad-handed like a hummingbird. This show
marked the return of the band's original bassist, Consuelo
Ramirez, and spirits were consequently high throughout the set.
Trent provided so much manic energy and intensity that it took your
mind off the fact that Brown-Star has no drummer.
Championing "quietcore" (as Trent puts it), Brown-Star features the
singers clear-as-a-bell voice, which has both range and power. He
ranted like a petulant child and sang in a pristine uppper
register on "Don't Look Back". Not only did his Dutch-boy haircut
swing like a metronome as he howled his lines, but his stomping
feet added a percusive element.
Guitarist Brett Klinker seemed to prefer open chords, and
he coaxed melodies from each one. His subtle playing and precise
rythms made his sound larger than the playing of most power-chord
Goliaths. Ramirez was sorely missed during her hiatus; her backing
vocals on the cover of Culture Club's "Church of the Poison Mind"
drew smiles from all ends of the room. Brown-Star play with 7th Betty
Fri/29, 10 p.m., Edinburgh Castle, 950 Geary, S.F. Free, (415)
885.4074 (Howard Myint)