But in between those awkward silences was a band that sounded ridiculously tight considering it was their first gig with a new keyboardist. Drummer Jonathan Edmonds held the group together with poise, elevating the band’s driving kraut-rock with an exciting and palpable momentum. With a little effort on the stage presence, I got the feeling like this band has the possibility to really start turning some heads.
Pets with Pets were a fitting opener for San Francisco’s Moon Duo, playing their first ever show in Australia. While Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada aren’t exactly consummate performers either, they do create an astoundingly succinct and powerful wall of sound that is much larger than the sum of its parts. Utilising a trippy backdrop, the band’s groove-heavy stoner rock suddenly brought folks out of the woodwork and filled NSC. If the band suffered from jetlag, you wouldn’t know it, as both members sporting large grins throughout the night. “We sure are a long way from home,” said Johnson early on. Sure enough, their Mazes-heavy set featured less repetitive drone and more sonic exploration, mimicking that very notion. Goners and Motorcycle, I Love You stood out as particular highlights.
And having a sense of the occasion, Moon Duo chose to play “something local,” said Johnson. “I hope we don’t screw it up.” They launched into a rousing version of Set It On Fire by post-punk heroes The Scientists. Though The Scientists actually originated in Perth, the crowd ate up the song regardless. It might have been Moon Duo’s first trip to Australia, but if the adoration the crowd showered them with was any indication, it won’t be their last.
BY JOSHUA KLOKE
LOVED: That I could just stand, nod my head and still feel like I was showing the band support. It’s all you can really do with stoner rock.
HATED: Missing the bus and a walk to NSC in the friggin’ torrential downpour.
DRANK: Lager, though should have had a tea to warm me and my drenched clothes.
