What do you do on your awkwardly long Easter break? If you’re anything like me, you get squirrelly after 3 or more days in your hometown. I broke up the impending monotony by staying in Milwaukee an extra day and attending the Beats Antique concert at Turner Hall Ballroom this past Thursday. For the uninitiated, Beats Antique is an Oakland, CA-based world fusion and electronica band. They are comprised of DJ and multi-instrumentalist (and professional attractive person) David Satori, percussionist Tommy “Sidecar” Cappel, and belly dancer Zoe Jakes. Yes, you read that right. The band prominently features her, and she’s incredibly talented. The band played songs off all eight of their studio albums, including the newly released A Thousand Faces, Vol. II, which tells the story of the band’s travels throughout the world in the form of carnival attractions. It’s very high-concept, and I was worried that it wouldn’t translate to the stage. I have never been happier to be wrong in my life. Beats Antique’s musical performance was impeccable- they forgo the traditional electronica format of live-mixing the drums and pre-recording the strings and instead play live drums as well as live violin and trumpet- but it was their special effects, stage props and lighting that really blew me away. The coolest part of the show was a really twisted carnival scene that involved a giant teal inflatable teddy bear. It was mesmerizing, and given the crowd of drug-addled Coachella wannabes that surrounded me, I was not alone in feeling this way. If you’re a fan of electronica and want something a little more interesting than David Guetta, I suggest giving Beats Antique a listen. If you like jazz/world music/afro-beat/belly dancing, I also suggest giving them a listen. Their music incorporates a diverse mix of genres. Be prepared though: it gets really weird, really quick. But in a good way!
Key Tracks:
“Beauty Beats” (off Collide)
“Cat Skillz” (off Elektrafone)
“Skeleton Key” (off Contraption Vol. II)
“The Approach” (off A Thousand Faces, Vol. I)
“Roadworthy” (off A Thousand Faces, Vol. II)
