BROOKLYN, NY—The basement stage of Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn, was pretty mint; a chill bar off the main street with two vintage bowling lanes toward the back, a section of comfy couches, mismatched with cozy embellishments that makes you want to take down a pint with a few friends. Though some traffic trouble kept me from the catching the entire show, So Many Dynamos made the $175 traffic fine worth it (most of it, anyway).
Most of the set was dedicated to tracks from their Vagrant Records release, The Loud Wars, and I couldn’t have been happier. The album is addictive; I find myself playing each track repeatedly, each time catching a new note, a new beat. Each time I listen to SMD, I find myself, more than anything, impressed by how clever, blunt, and yes nerdy, the lyrics are.
SMD live is an experience. The bass lines make you move as they play, like a dance without a name. The computer bleeps, robot noises and sampling in tracks is best described as rhythmic technology. The last song of the set, “New Bones,” was the song I drove 30-plus miles to hear live; they did not disappoint. I must admit, I like the live version better.
After the music break, the kick drum knocks out a steady pace, the first line of the chorus, “I put the breath in your lungs and I’ll take it back if I want,” comes marching in over the drums—like a nerd’s call to battle against the vicious Macs that keep fragging up their data. Not that the band is insulted, I caught up with a few of them after the set and they seemed to have no problem with embracing their inner nerd because they still rock. So, if you ever have a chance to see So Many Dynamos live, hop on it and if you ever hear about a show at Union Hall, go. Even if the bands end up sucking, you can still get hammered and bowl in a place far more swank than your run-of-the-mill lanes—you can even wear your own shoes!
