Astronauts of Antiquity Muddle Music With Science

Saturday, Feb. 23

Carrboro ArtsCenter

Two Stars

It's always weird to see those motorcycles that are decked out with every accessory in the catalogue -- five rearview mirrors, purple glowing lights, 10-disc CD players -- but only packing 10-horsepower engines. In a sense, the Astronauts of Antiquity rode seven of these cycles into the ArtsCenter in Carrboro on Saturday night.

They seemed to pull out every trick, including psychedelic images projected above the stage, smoke machines choking the audience, candles and statuettes all over the stage. But for all the work that went into creating the experience, the music seemed, to an extent, ignored.

Formed only late last year, the seven-member troupe, which combines shards of rock, funk and lounge jazz, seemed hard-pressed to saddle the complex, genre-bending beast that was bucking like crazy while it was on stage.

The standard lineup of guitar-bass-drums was broken up with a keyboard-synthesizer and some bongos, all on top of a DJ spinning down-tempo beats. The band members seemed to be trying hard to be different, and they were.

The lead singer, a feisty blonde named India, conjured sounds not unlike pre-pop Gwen Stefani. Often singing with an artfully fluctuating, controlled wail, but other times with smooth delicacy, India carried the band. Other members also played with zeal, but they seemed to be so casual that their music suffered in the process.

Definitely aiming at the margins with their music, Astronauts of Antiquity took the "we're just playing for fun" concept a tad too far. Being casual is dandy, but smiling at the audience through two sets comes off more like an "edgy" Christian group than the sound toward which the Astronauts of Antiquity were working.

Some songs, both the trippy, flowing numbers and the Indian-spiced selections, provided satisfaction and occasional foot tapping. The DJ allowed the music to change drastically -- jazzy, free-flowing and intriguing.

But it seemed that every time the band members were on a run, they would plunge a stick into their own spokes. One outlandish example was distorting the lead singer's voice into a robotic drone and then switching back with complete casualness.

To its defense, such stylistic stumbles can be attributed to the band's youth and not to its musical talent; however, the audience felt these growing pains.

Cutting out the theatrics and concentrating on the music would be a refreshing -- and much needed -- change of pace. After all, prefabricated atmosphere will never replace intense and passionate music.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.