Brian Slattery Photos
PULSR.
Four bands — two based in New Haven, two based in Philadelphia and New York City — rocked the crowded floor of the State House on Friday night. It was an indication of how both New Haven-based and touring acts are starting to find their footing again after the pandemic, making the connections among one another to bring the music scene back for live audiences.
Them Airs — Adam Cohen, Amina Rustemovic, Luke Schroader, and Cade Williams — were on this night missing regular member Evan Nork, and subbed in PULSR guitarist Jake to eschew any songs from their prodigious musical output and instead used their time to launch themselves into an extended jam session. The music ebbed and flowed as members switched instruments, driven by the rhythm section and augmented by searching guitars, droning keyboards, and the occasional splash of saxophone. They made a vibe. But in case the general antics onstage and smiles the members threw each other didn’t give it away, it was all done with a sense of humor, too.
When the saxophone entered the conversation, Cohen announced that “we’re going to play in B‑flat now. I don’t know what that means.” There was a brief pause in the music, and Cohen asked how much more time they had. Told that about three minutes remained in their set, the group members played with a frantic burst of energy, as if they’d been prepared for play for hours longer and had to burn through material. The crowd applauded and hollered at the end.
“We’re sorry if anyone showed up expecting Them Airs songs,” Cohen said. “Tonight was not the night.” The audience didn’t seem to mind.
The Philly-based Bleary Eyed — Nathaniel Salfi on guitar and vocals, Margot Whipps on bass and vocals, Pax Martyn on guitar, and Charlie Wyatt on drums — then took the stage to play a lush, heavy set of originals. It began with deft use of backing tracks providing ambient soundscapes. Then Wyatt and Whipps created thick rhythms for Salfi’s and Martyn’s guitars to build upon. Into this often huge sound, Salfi and and Whipps waded with dual vocals, sometimes in unison, sometimes in harmony, always with enough strength to deliver the message.
PULSR — Jake on guitar and vocals, Drew on bass, and Josh on drums — was up next with an impressive set of complex songs that found the trio excelling at swift dynamic, tempo, and texture changes, a whisper one second, a roar the next. The audience stayed silent while they played, as if hanging on every move. In between songs, Jake was an amiable emcee, lauding the Them Airs jam set he took part in (“I had a great time!”) and making sure that people bought merchandise from the touring bands.
“We also have some,” he said, “but it’s more important that you give it to them.” The band proceeded through another knotty set of songs, and with a curt “Okay, that’s it!” from Jake, the audience exploded with a long cheer.
Strange Ranger — Isaac Eiger on guitar and vocals, Fiona Woodman on keys and vocals, Fred Nixon on bass and keys, and Nathan Tucker on drums — based in Philly and New York, then gave the State House a taste of a very polished set, as the band blended electric and electronic instruments together to create a sound that partook equally of indie rock and dreamy pop, sometimes all in the same song.
Strange Ranger’s ability to recreate a sound live that one usually might associate with the studio was, in some ways, a testament to how far music technology has progressed in the past few years; three decades it would have required equipment and perhaps a crew that made it inaccessible to anyone who didn’t have a big tour budget to burn. Strange Ranger showed that it could be done now, with relatively much less gear, and perhaps more creatively than in the past. Though the music was spiked with longing, there was always an undercurrent of looking into the future with a feeling that felt very refreshing on a Friday night: optimism.