Review by Ryan Getz

‘Twas Black Friday, and I had returned to my abode in Old North Columbus. No one was around. So, what to do? Why, see if any interesting shows for cheap were playing in the area of course. I meandered my way down to Ace of Cups, one of my favorite venues in Columbus, mildly intrigued by the prospect of seeing Royal Bangs, Strangers in Daylight, and Tin Armor with no prior knowledge of their music. Well, that’s not entirely true. I knew that Royal Bangs was “experimental” and I watched about a minute of their performance on Letterman via the ever so helpful YouTube. Good enough for me.

I actually had no idea Tin Armor was playing prior to my walking through the front door. They played straightforward indie rock, the course of the performance only being altered by a large older guy running on stage and singing “dananananana BATMAN!” complete with accompanying organ melodies from the synth.  Well, OK. A band to put on my radar for sure. An unconventional way of doing thus, but effective nonetheless.

Strangers in Daylight maybe one of the best kept secrets in Columbus. Next to OceanSpeak, this trio may be my favorite indie discovery in the Columbus scene this year. Cool use of a delay mic added character to the already catchy yet depth-containing alternative songs. Drummer Michael Patrick Murtha crafted an intricate backbone for each and every tune, seemingly without flaw. Jamarr Michael Mays humbly carried the performance with driving bass and the occasional backup vocals, and frontman Philip Emilio Palma wove his vocals into Interpol-like guitar licks with ease. As mentioned in their bio, some Beach Boys influence can be found as well. Definitely keep an eye on these guys.

Royal Bangs followed up with a post-midnight performance of synth driven, fast paced alternative rock. They seemed fond of petitioning the small crowd for permission to play new stuff, and do stuff they haven’t done before.  The unique thing was just how synth driven the music was, despite not sounding that unlike standard alternative rock. “Standard”, it should be noted, is not a negative term in the context of this review –  it just means that this band succeeds at creating a familiar sound in an unconventional way. It was obvious that the guys have a small but loyal following; the people in front could hardly contain themselves as the band was warming up and finishing their soundcheck. In fact, at one point, a guy yelling “YEAH!” enthusiastically during a new song caused the band to lose their place in the vocals – a fact that they made light of after the fact. “Thank you, kind of?” the frontman joked.

I’d like to close this review by acknowledging just how top notch Ace of Cups is as a venue. Where else can you find an elevated lounge area to relax with a drink during a performance? That, and the guy that arranges the shows (you can’t miss him – but I ironically missed his name) carries himself with enthusiasm and rocks out with every performance, interacting with the crowd and being hospitable to the band members. The sound mix was flawless as well. It takes talent to create a mix that sounds great for a band with lots of equipment like Royal Bangs, and then be free to walk away from the booth without worry of a screw-up. Well done, guys.