My first exposure to Kinski occurred a couple of years ago in the tiny shoebox known as the Silverlake Lounge. I had no idea what to expect as I had never heard of them but my companion assured me I was in for an unforgettable experience. Of course Bill was right, he usually is, so when he asked me if I wanted to go to the Echo to see them again on Thursday night I said “Yeahh” in an enthusiastic Lil’ Jon sort of way.
With fellow crew members Cara and Alex as our escorts we arrived in time to see some of the Polar Goldie Cats set. The crowd was still pretty thin at that point but the people who were there showed their appreciation by dutifully head nodding along and applauding affectionately. How could you help but fall in love with a female drummer rocking out in silver cat ears?
As Kinksi began to set up, the crowd filled in substantially. Across from the sea of distortion pedals, the band was responding to banter with the crowd and laughing back. Even though they play intense, heavy music, they obviously have fun while they’re performing and were friendly to their fans. Do not let anyone tell you that Kinski is “boring” live. The frenetic energy of the performance combined with the pulsing crescendos of their songs would compel anyone to rock out.
As they played my favorite song, Semaphore off of Airs Above Your Station (Sub Pop 2003), the crowd erupted into applause with anticipation as it was obviously one of their favorites as well. The bassist, Lucy Atkinson, produced otherworldly sounds with a violin bow grinding against her bass while Chris Martin and Matthew Reid-Schwartz delivered sonic reverie with their dueling guitars. Drummer Barrett Wilke held it all together with explosive yet precise accuracy. That’s what is so great about this band, they have such a large presence and play with such freakout dynamism but remain so tight with exacting control. Next time they come down from Seattle, you should come see a showI know I’ll be there.
To get a sampling of their sound, you can go to their website at www.kinski.net and listen to The Wives of Artie Shaw from their just released Alpine Static (Sub Pop 2005).
