Quirky Micachu, Rossi show why
Great Scott, Boston, July 16, 2009
Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
Micachu created a bit of a stir earlier this year when the young British singer appeared at the SXSW festival.
After seeing her and her two band mates, known as The Shapes, in their Boston debut, it wasn't entirely clear why.
Micachu (pronounced "Mica-chew") sings with a heavy British accent with lots of very odd beat, ambient sounds seeping into the mix thanks to her modified small guitar. The Shapes - Marc Pell and Raisa Khan - were on drums and keyboards respectively. Most of the songs were short, sometimes on the dissonant side, and not overly stimulating. When Micachu and The Shapes stretched it out , the songs tended to breathe a lot more and proved more accessible.
This most definitely was not music for the masses - mildly entertaining, but not intended for wider distribution.
Anni Rossi returned to Boston to open after being a no-show a few weeks back when slated to open for Camera Obscura due to traffic problems. The Minnesota native, who recently released a full length on 4AD, was interesting - a word that is not the kiss of death in this case.
Playing solo viola, Rossi plucked away a good chunk of the time, but created far more of a sound by standing on a suitcase. While not so clear in concert exactly how, she created a percussive effect by stomping on the suitcase, a bit of a quirky effect. (afterwards, Rossi revealed that the mysterious suitcase contained two coffee cans to support her weight, along with a drum kick mic).
She was a good musical fit for the headliner, and her vocals sounded pretty, somewhat akin to Ingrid Michaelson.
Rossi had a big miscue in forgetting the words at one point to a song, admitting it and moving on to close out the very short set.
This was certainly not a night of music for the masses. For those seeking the offbeat, off-kilter, it worked probably just fine, if a bit too out there at times.
