Horse The Band in NYC

Horse The Band, Infinity Shred, We Are Not Our Bodies - Saturday 9 August 2014, Webster Hall, New York

Within the first 15 minutes the floor is dangerous ground. Spillages make it hard to reach the front without a praying for your life every few steps. Taking it slow and through a labyrinth of crashing symbols, rolling thunder and noise, We Are Not Our Bodies savagely deliver on their post hardcore promises.

On a dreamscape vibe, Infinity Shred carve out the future with compositions as long as their arm. The personality of each crafted piece resonates trough the dark, tempting onlookers into submission. Chilly in the overdone room temperature, the class of 3 build warm tones and chase new heights effortlessly. Accompanied by Brazilian industrial style beats, synthesizer lead Damon Hardjowirogo revels in his own world to deliver gifts of the atmospheric kind.

Cheesy shorts at the ready and enough homage to science to start a fire, Horse The Band alleviate their punishing hiatus from the US live scene. Heroes Die and Birdo encourage surfers up, over and flung back into the mix. Arms stretched, reaching for the antidote, unhindered fans are cramped to the front, absorbing every last drop of nerd genius the Californian several piece has to offer. "You play too rough, I'm a sensitive guy," Nathan Winneke and crew are playing "Way too sober." The band's self-made family hitting them up from every angle, eventually pulling the vocalist into the crowd for hugs all round.

Heavy doses of 2005's The Mechanical Hand and the later Desperate Living, cause a riot on and off stage between banter pushing Niacin, free smokes and security guards dragging bodies from the friendly disorder. "If you go too far, the arms will get you," Winneke teases referencing The Legend of Zelda before launching into Lord Gold Throneroom. Ed Edge cuts in with his triangle for the hundredth time, beating the party forward in his own unique style. The camaraderie within this geek fest is a sight to behold, the audience chiming in with their vocal chords at every opportunity. Team Horse unleashing their namesake song, choosing to end the sweat filled riot with the sweet sounding Cutsman.

Photos and words by Kenada Quinlan

Horse The Band