by hilary johnson hilary_a_johnson@yahoo.com
When going to a show at TSI, the well-known indie dance club in downtown Jacksonville, people can expect a few things. First, the music will be obscure. It’s actually a requirement in order to get booked. Radio airwaves will not waft through their rooms. Secondly, it’s an intimate setting and you can expect to stand. There’s a low stage, a dance floor, and a few booths, so the band practically blends in with the audience. And finally, you can expect to find a great beer and wine selection, as well as cheap PBRs.
Friday, September 28th, was no different. Two local bands, Wudun and Airport Factory, came out and showcased two very different styles and experiences, but captivated the same audience none-the-less.
Wudun, a three-piece band of keytar, guitar and drums, took to the stage first, or rather, took to the floor. Their simple set-up was actually on the ground in front of the stage. A few black lights, a couple amps, a guitar, and a small keyboard velcroed to the base of an acoustic guitar surrounded a small drum kit. The band was dressed in all white and khaki and from the first note, the simplistic vibe eased the audience for what was an otherwise complicated and artful expression of noise.
“Our sound is not very easy and approachable,” said Jeremiah Johnson, the band’s leader, vocalist, and resident keytarist. “I want our music to be puzzling and mysterious, something that requires the asking of questions.”
Unlike a typical concert, Wudun’s unconventional approach made their songs less like songs and more like paintings in an art gallery, leaving the audience with an image rather than a memory of sounds.
“I think not being very good at visual art has somehow made me obsessed with making music that can almost be seen,” said Johnson.
The music was beautiful and complicated, although at times weird, pulling in and connecting the audience to each song separately. The vocals were more like another instrument than actual singing. This was not party music; this was mood music that required full immersion to be appreciated. And the audience followed suit. They stood in silence and complete focus, clapping after every song. The band was impressively in sync with one another and at one point, Johnson switched places with Adam Mills, the drummer, but the transition was seamless. Aside from Johnson’s slightly more aggressive approach to the drums, had one not been looking, it’s possible the switch might have gone unnoticed. Cory Loop rounded out the sound with the guitar.
The second band, a four-piece indie band called Airport Factory, was a great departure from Wudun. They used a more conventional song structure and upbeat rhythms and tones. However, each song contained its own unique composition that departed from convention as well, welding together the two acts.
The songs were creative. Airport Factory’s lo-fi indie sound was enhanced by segments of stomping, harmonized laughter and a cappella group singing. Chris Williams, the band’s leader, even played a large brown piano he found on Craigslist and somehow managed to get it onto the stage.
“You can’t buy a keyboard that is going to sound like that piano,” said Williams. “If we could, then maybe we could fit more people in the band.”
“He uses [the piano] totally out of context,” said Mark Lynn, the band’s drummer, referencing the way Williams effects the piano with distortion, delay, and other pedals.
Williams also sings lead vocals and plays the guitar. Diedra Beck plays the melodica, at times even sitting on the floor of the stage. Nick Osgood plays bass and guitar.
A large majority of Airport Factory’s songs center both lyrically and sonically around Jacksonville. One song in particular, ‘Dear Sad Jacksonville,’ references aspects of Jacksonville’s culture throughout the song.
“Out on Girvin Road they built a mountain range/ out of things we throw away/ that city’s got topography… Dear sad Jacksonville/They don’t fool me.” The song discusses some negative aspects of the city, yet somehow highlights what is great about this city as well, through the words they don’t say.
It was definitely a night of local music that seemed to resonate, through the songs, the artistic quality, and open-minded approach, how interesting and eclectic this city can really be.
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