When asked to review a band mid-week, one has to ask themselves if it is worth the next morning of blurry eyed incoherency at work that comes with getting 4 hours of sleep. My answer is always yes, especially when asked to go see a band who's latest album is getting touted as one of the "best records you didn't hear," from rags like the Rolling Stone and Spin (although, don't they say that about most indie bands?). The Comas are currently on tour pushing their third and latest album The Conductor, and it was finally my town's turn.

Knowing it was going to be a late show, I had made a point of showing up a little later than I normally would have (napping), which I somewhat regret as I ended up only being able to catch the last bit of the local act Drop the Fear. I have heard a good deal about this band as their name is often in a lot of the local rags, but have never really been able to catch them. Judging only from the few minutes of the song that I did get to hear, this is a decent band. The vocals were good, adding to the music rather than distracting or overpowering (or under powering) the overall mood of the music. While I am not a serious fan of the whole 'shoegazer' thing, and this band is definitely a part of this genre, I did not find that Drop the Fear rubs my nerves the way that most the shoegazers do (the same nerves that emo assaults). I will be sure to make the effort to catch a full set sometime to find out if I actually like them as much as I think I do.

After Drop the Fear packed up their unbelievably large amount of gear it was Vietnam's turn to take the stage. Compared to Drop the Fear, Vietnam seemed to take a minimalist view when it came to equipment, and yet it did seem to take them nearly as long to set up. Vietnam is a good name for these guys as they looked like they had just finished burning their draft cards. Either to set the mood or because their eyes were sore from the draft card smoke, the band had the stage lights turned off and then proceeded to play their entire set in the dark. Their noise went back and forth from rock'n to what I would call "that generic sixties" sound. I have to be honest that they were not my choice of bands, but they were not bad either. They did not send me looking for a beer and a corner to ride the set out in either. The few people that were in the crowd seemed to really be digging the noise and trusted 'knowledgeable' sources tell me that this is a good band, but none the less I was glad that I had earplugs in. Perhaps someday my punk rock hardened ears will mature and I will be able to hear what others do, but for right now I will just have to be content in finding bands like Vietnam boring.

Nearing the end of the night, The Comas were finally up. It was easily eleven or eleven thirty at night, a Monday night I remind you, and the crowd had actually gotten larger. The band seemed loud and full of force and I found my head bobbing along with much of the music. As I listened to the music I was trying hard to come up with a band I could compare them to, as this is the easiest way to describe what you hear... and I would say that I heard Weezer in there, Weezer in the sound but not in the lyrics. I am not sure who to relate those too. Of what I could make of them, the lyrics gave me the feeling of a smoke filled, sad, tired, sci-fi melodrama, if that makes any sense. The lyrics seemed to cover everything from black holes to pink balloons. The songs went from sad and sullen to pop-like head bobbing, almost danceable, tunes that could be difficult to get out of one's head. The band definitely had that mild psychedelic vibe that was felt throughout the night, and has infested much of the indie scene these days, but it was subtle and not overtly distracting, or annoying. The combination of male and female vocals was also a nice touch, seeming to do well at sticking with the overall vibe of the band.

On a whole I can see why there is buzz about The Comas, they are very much what you are hearing out of the indie circles these days, but at the same time they also manage to pull off some very unique, dare I say refreshing, sounds as well. I think this comfortable, yet refreshing, noise is a big plus for them, especially as they become more and more well known. For me they were both hit and miss. I was not so much a fan of the slow sullen emo-like parts, but I was definitely into the faster more energetic sections. As always, I recommend live music - nothing beats it - and I would certainly recommend catching The Comas if you get the chance - then you can say that you were there, that you heard of them first.

-JD Sipes

The Comas
February 21, 2005
Larimer Lounge, Denver CO
www.yeproc.com

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