Before the music commenced, Andrew Fugue, guitarist and lead singer, declared his love for the other bands on the bill, the audience and most everyone else -- creating a happy and tender atmosphere. From there, the crowd was engaged by the upbeat new-age rock that vibrated throughout Go! Studios. The first three songs, "Expharm," "Flying Saucer" and "Falling," all high-energy numbers, sounded like crosses between Elastica and your average garage band.
With the guitar amps turned to high and with a heavy drum beat, few lyrics could be distinguished from the loud noise.
The audible words ranged from phrases of angst and love such as, "I've never felt this way before" and "I'm down on my knees," to the all-popular galactic references such as, "When you are falling through outer space."
Luckily, the words are not the point of this band. Watching the guitarists rock out and feel the ecstasy of their own music was truly inspiring. The crowd was attentive -- but possibly too attentive. Instead of joining in on Fugue's enthusiasm, the stone-faced viewers motionlessly appreciated the music.
The remainder of the performance included more musical stimulation and less talking due to time constraints. Although the band's conversational voice was absent, the vocal abilities of lead singer Fugue and his lady backup, Nicole Ictus, provided a unique harmony feasible only through a male-female duet.
Fugue and Ictus appeared to experience a musical high on stage, while Justin Idyll, the band's new bassist, was more subdued -- possibly from being the new guy.
Member retention has been an issue for The Comas. "The former members have slowly disappeared over time -- I'm not really sure why," Fugue said. "But I think it's OK, because their spirits continue to haunt the music every time we play. I really think that anyone who plays in this band for any length of time is slowly absorbed into the music itself forever."
The Comas planned on closing with "Oh God" from the band's future album, but after its performance, the band was forced to continue due to the energy of the crowd. A slowly building, solely instrumental beginning grew into an intense climax of chords.
The audience had no choice but to surrender to the music, regardless of the passive-listener indie image it attempted to maintain.
The Art & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
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