Micachu & The Shapes 7/16/09 @ Great Scott

Wow, our luck with great opening bands and headliners has continued and how. Micachu & The Shapes are composed of three precocious young musicians from Britain, but in all honesty, do not dismiss this band because of their youthful appearance. Coming on stage in baggy, but awesome gig shirts, Micachu & the Shapes looked like a rag tag band of rebellious younger siblings who have stolen their older brothers' shirts to go on an adventure. Appearances aside, they brought a level of energy and craftsmanship that belies their age.

The set was dominated by quick songs, heavy rhythmic guitar work on the world's smallest but loudest guitar and endless cascades of percussion. Heavy dissonance frequently resolved to precise harmony, while Micachu kept the songs moving with quick lyrics and an endearing sneer. Already knowing and loving Micachu, I readily succumbed to their pulsating rhythms and got into their groove. With such intricate rhythms and a horde of homemade percussive instruments, like wine bottles, bells and cans, Micachu & the Shapes were far more funky than I expected. It was a great live touch, along with their ability to alter tempos and even the key of some of their songs. During the roughly 45 minutes of jamming out, Micachu and her band mates always kept eye contact, playing off of each other's cues and really creating an organic, free flowing concert experience. I came in with pretty high expectations to experience something new and exciting. I defintely received just that (dare I say avant garde?) from both Anni Rossi and Micachu.

The set list is below which includes most of their debut album Jewelery and a few more obscure and new songs! (in bold):

Vulture
Eat Your Heart
Waste
Floor
Lips
Wrong
Just in Case
Guts
Long Time
Debris
Curly Teeth
Golden Phone
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Hardcore

Micachu & the Shapes - Lips (YSI) (filesavr)

Micachu & the Shapes - Eat your Heart (YSI) (filsavr)