Lasers?? Where??

I will be the first to admit that music without vocals never used to tickle my fancy. I grew up on a plethora of music (classic rock, alternative, country, R&B, hip-hop, rap), but the farthest extend to my exposure of voiceless pieces was when my dad would play this album during Christmas. Tragic.

(Actually. I have fond memories of that composition...sorry Dad.)

It wasn't until I took some music courses in my first year in college that I really gained a huge appreciation for opera and classical music, even seeing Philip Glass three times in one weekend (cue nerd music, I know). Since then, I gotta hand it out to musicians who create in a variety of mediums and with instruments-or-not, and even to the DJs who tour exclusively just to mix beats live.

Two of my favorite albums this year, Ratatat's LP3 and the soundtrack to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (done by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis), are all noise and no vox. I am pleased to add Booka Shade to that list of favies, because German homeboys threw it down two weekends ago. I've struggled with how to write a review for them (how to describe two dudes on stage...hmmm); but I think to say that I walked in with no reference to the duo and walking out a fan is enough. Thankfully I had my good friend Charlie to provide me with hilarity and background ("These guys are like the Michael Jackson of German techno"), and we danced the whole time to the sounds of Water and Arno. Some highlights from the guys:

• Beating the shit out of a drum kit that looked like they picked up for Rock Band at Best Buy
• Hiding behind a DJ booth with what looked like a call center service rep's headset
• Lots of fist pumping
• Lots of jumping
• German accents

Also, when we walked in, there was a sign posted on the Mezz door that stated "Please note this show will have lasers." I don't know about you, but any show with some fucking lasers has got to be good.

And completely gratuitous, but here is what I thought the whole time because of that sign:

Booka, please be my boyfriends...