The Backroom series #5 - Florida Noise Showcase

LARGEST SHOW YET

1. BONGUS -  (Orlando) - Featuring: Thomas Milovac & Syoma Klochko
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The recording failed on my device so I sadly wasn’t able to capture it. (I know the whole show was recorded by multiple devices so I am sure someone has a video) I really enjoyed the amazing sounds coming from Thomas as he switched between a bass and a cello. There were some enjoyable percussive elements. Syoma went between the piano and drums nearly seamlessly during their set.

2. Penny Grune-Fae (St Petersburg)

Penny’s purposely minimal setup was complimented by some dinosaur decor. She played a series of short soundscape songs in her set. The first part of the set was very dreamy and magical with sounds of echoing chimes. The middle of the set reminded me of the ambient work of Eno. After that one of the last tracks sounded like spooky heavy befitting a horror movie soundtrack. The range was wondrous.

3. Formaldehydra (Lakeland)

Dylan Houser gave us a delightfully loud wall of crunchy sound with a specific tempo during his set. Didn’t get a good look at the tools used to construct the piece but I did see knobs.

4. Tomokie's Cup (Jax)

Not going to review myself but I do thank Penny and Dylan for accompanying us. We sported Honeytone amps perched on our shirt collars. I played a Nebulaphone created by Lucy Bonk while Adam played a Stylophone Gen-X1. Penny played the Moog Theremini and Dylan played the Bass Ukulele. 

5. Fiver's Stereo (Jax)

The first portion of Jay Peele's set involved a slide used on an electric guitar, which made for some eerie sounds. Then that was combined with some squeaky noises from the Moog Synthesizer. Near the end, there were sounds emitted that went from boiling tea kettle squeal to full on B-movie theremin-like melody over what sounded like ghostly singing.

6. Vallam (Tampa)

The set started out with a blistering distorted sound with lots of great percussive elements. Then it morphed into a wall of sound with a slowing tempo until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

7. Venus Envy (Panama City)
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The night ended on a high note with essentially Plutonian Burrito (Scott Bazar and Charles Pagano) with Milovac on Electric Bass Guitar. I heard lots of changing styles from Free Jazz to Funk in that set. It looked like it must have been as fun to perform as it was to watch it.

​I cannot wait to see more. :D

View Dylan Houser's report on the same show.