With all the craziness going on last week such as Paul Baribeau, Spraynard, Snoop Dogg and Obama in town, I didn't get to tell you all about my experiences last friday (3/23). It's a bit lengthy but it gets to the point I promise!
A while back I posted a killer post metal band from New Hampshire called KYOTY (Keep Your Opinions To Yourself). They only had a CD-R of a 14 minute long song called "Nine" at the time and I was patiently waiting to hear back about a possible full-length in the future. News got out about a month or so ago that they had finally finished a whole CD entitled Undiscovered Country Of Old Death And Strange Years In The Frightful Past. I was pretty pumped to hear of such good news until my friend asked me if I wanted to go to Boston with him to see them at their CD release party a few weeks later. Then I was mega pumped. I hadn't seen KYOTY since my first Rosetta show a year and a half ago and to not only see them play once again but to pick up their new release at their release party no less, well, that's the kind of thing I get excited about.
Fast forward to the week of the show and we learn the location is called The Dragon Cat's Den. No location or map is given to this venue in Boston however, presumably do to the respect of the space holders and their clandestinity. We (my friends and I) respected this and waited for further information (patience is a key theme in this story. Just keep reading). This information though, came in the form of an email we had to send to the people of the spot with a RSVP to the show, our name, and which band we were going to see. In return for this we learned the address and pseudo directions to the place called The Dragon Cat's Den. This was obviously an eventful start to our friday night.
And thus, let the mini road trip to Boston begin!
After getting a little lost on our way in and walking a few blocks on foot, we made it to the building with a few minutes to spare... so we thought. The show was scheduled to commence at 8PM like any good show should (unless you are Snoop Dogg maybe) but here's the thing, we got to the location, and there we walked up to a building that looked not only closed but abandoned. I'm used to things looking abandoned when it comes to shows so my friends and I went in anyways. Inside was a hallway leading to a shaft elevator and some flights of stairs of which we and everyone else at the show that night learned was seven flights of stairs. All part of the mystery of course, so we walked up the stairs to the only door that was open in the building. When we walked in - through a few more twists and turns for good measure - we came into a room with a very large but low to the ground stage and some couches. The only people there yet though, was us, the 'owners' and the bassist for KYOTY. Here in Maine, we are used to shows not getting started right away.. poster says 8PM: show might not start until 8:30. Things are different in Boston I guess because we watched as every band (All three of 'em) came in after shlepping their instruments up seven flights of stairs for a good two hours before the first band, Astronomer slowly got ready to set their instruments up on the stage made up of plywood and styrofoam (that's what it looked and felt like when you were on it, at least) and tune up.
So what was a 8PM show started at 10:30 and we didn't even see the band we came to see until about mid-night. So yeah, this was probably the slowest show I had ever been to; I've seen five bands set up, play and leave faster than the three bands that played that night at The Dragon Cat's Den! Was it worth it though? Absolutely it was worth it! In the time that I was there in Boston, I not only saw an amazing emotionally driven KYOTY show but a fire eater/dancer/flesher, The Fire Department Museum, three bands carrying their instruments up seven flights of stairs and even the mayor of Boston himself!
The KYOTY performance in itself may have been the highlight of the trip. One thing I remembered from seeing them a year or so back was that they are a play on the floor and right up next to you kind of band. That being said, they asked everybody to get on the stage and real close to them so they could shred some faces and display their intoxicating riffs to everyone up close and in personal. No smoke and mirrors.
I really enjoy that KYOTY seem to have as much fun as my friends while they play. Some folks in the crowd obviously weren't as excited as their guitarist that night and so they got a little surprise when he came hurling into them full force with his guitar. When bands make super fun and intense music like KYOTY do, I don't think they should have to hold back, and neither should the audience! I know some people that don't agree with that and they are stiffy stiffersons and only care about their image and not themselves. Loosen up punks! But hey, that's my opinion and I'm keeping it to myself.
The show was great, the experience was noteworthy (as you can see) and KYOTY killed it. Not only with their performance but also with the CD that they released that night and what my friends and I had intentionally gone for. A CD and a show to me is like a dinner and a movie at the same place if those places didn't suck! I'm really glad KYOTY has a full CD out now and so are they. Anyone who has ever been interested in instrumental, metal, post rock, riffs, heavy stuff or just straight-up good music in general should definitely check it out!
KYOTY - Undiscovered Country Of Old Death And Strange Years In The Frightful Past (2012)
I wanted to call this post "KYOTY, Boston and Seven Flights of Stairs" but I noticed that someone else had beaten me to the punch with a release party review and I couldn't remember what they called theirs. I also knew I wasn't the only one to notice the lengthy time it took for bands to start playing. I don't blame any of the bands for this, mostly because I could tell Astronomer's guitarist of the first act was also getting very antsy to play , but I don't blame the nice people from The Dragon Cat's Den either. It was apparent that they hadn't put on a lot of shows yet and I really did enjoyed their clean and comfortable space they had up there on the seventh floor of some giant building in Boston.
Also: here's a look at the last track KYOTY played that night. They said they didn't know it too well but that didn't stop them from playing the hell out of it!
Bandcamp
Tokyo Jupiter Records
Official site
Last.fm
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