| WE VERSUS THE SHARK, HOPE FOR AGOLDENSUMMER, MARRIAGE Marriage opened the night's show with the brutal momentum of a brick to the neck: roughly hewn guitar/ drum anthems with occasional keyboard that was sometimes played with a spare foot, more suited to a sasquatch shambling through the woods than a Valentine's Day concert, despite the cosmetic efforts of matching red clip-on ties. Guitarist-vocalist Josh Wooton pranced and roared like a goat-legged satyr, kicking his legs and jigging whenever the music would allow. He was equally adjusted to bellowing Norse warrior vocals and a Tiny Tim cover that floated him into the upper reaches of castrata. The local duo had a really good time on the stage, and their vigor bled into the crowd, inciting a brief moshpit and pandemic head banging in at least… four people. Marriage's music was a bit flaccid for some songs, and may well have benefited from another instrument to carry the lulls in guitar, but the energy was never lacking. They took over the 40 Watt with the daunting impetus of a cymbal-crashing clockwork monkey, and were definitely an interesting choice to preface Hope for Agoldensummer. After an intricate instrument set up, involving Coke bottles, a cello and a singing saw, among other things, the five members of Hope for Agoldensummer gifted the audience by opening their act with an a cappella spiritual about freedom while the CBS evening news played on a projection screen behind them. As the bandmembers took positions for their second song, the projector switched from news to a video of a make-out party the band had held earlier. The film was amusing but ultimately distracting, and ill-suited to the band's ephemeral, bittersweet mood. The local ensemble's music is minimalist, but never lacking. The percussion is sparse and inventive, sometimes absent altogether. They sing a lullaby to an aging generation, reminding us of everything important in our lives, and warning us that time is fleeting. Near the middle of the set, Hope For Agoldensummer's primary vocalist Claire Campbell passed out vegan cookies that she'd made earlier in the day, and offered subversive literature and tobaccoless leaves for smokers, to ease their addiction. A shatteringly beautiful rendition of "Laying Down the Gun," the closing track off Hope's album I Bought A Heart of Made of Art in the Deep, Deep South, tied the audience into a tight knot around the stage before ending with a version of "Malt Liquor" that brought Bain Mattox on-stage in a mini reunion that spliced lyrics of Ludacris' "What's Your Fantasy" into the band's own morose words. Local math-rock band We Versus the Shark, as always, didn't stick with any particular sound for more than a few minutes. Even within songs they shifted rhythm and mood, never finishing anywhere near where they started. At times they matched the chaos of a good Primus breakdown with three-part vocals that only enhanced the disorder. They were beautiful at times, and quite skillful, but always rough. An inordinately long setup and various technical difficulties - including a snapped string and mic stands that seemed to be particularly susceptible to gravity - meant a lot of dead air. It could have happened to anyone, however, and WVTS didn't let it get them down. The band concluded with a cover of André 3000's "Happy Valentine's Day" with Claire and Page Campbell retaking the stage to assist with backup vocals. It would be hard to recreate the organized madness of the live performance on a CD or even a video recording; you need to see it to believe. This was a refreshing lineup that didn't run in the same genre (even within sets). Athens could use a few more cross-pollinating shows like this to expose certain audiences to otherwise unfamiliar or unapproachable music. David Commins
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