The Antlers + Square Wave Punch @ Piano's 2/8

My apolgies to the other bands coming out of New York. It seems I have little time to give to you folks no matter how deserved of it you are, and that is entirely the fault of one Peter Silberman and his wonderful band The Antlers. You see folks, they are really the best thing going right now, a perfect blend of folk, rock, psychadelica, pop goodness all served to you hot at live dates all over the place. It's amazing I haven't tired of Peter, or The Antlers, or any of their songs considering the amount of times I've seen them live (which I believe is at 1,420 and counting!), but they are so perfectly suited to my tastes that I can't help but wanting to see them every chance I get. Their like Ben & Jerry's ice cream, I know there are other flavors but if I see Chubby Hubby that's the one I'm going to want. Luckily for you other Manhattan and Brooklyn bands The Antlers usually play shows with other people, at least until they have enough material to fill up two to three hours themselves they do, so I get to see those bands though they do have to be compared to The Antlers then.

Square Wave Punch is a band I have been meaning to see. Well, I have seen their frontman Sean perform just never the band. I still haven't as the band was apparently battling some sort of flu on Friday night and were unable to make the performance (whatever happened to the show must go on guys?), but luckily Sean's quirky singing and guitaring were all we really needed to get ready for The Antlers. It was a subtle and sweet performance, with all sorts of oddities added into Sean's vocal quirk and quick plucking riffs coming from his six-string. It's a very cool sound, one I'm sure sounds even cooler with a full band to accentuate it, but whatever I'm cool with just Sean as Square Wave Punch.

The Antlers used to be that brand of music. It used to be just Peter displaying his amazingly gifted voice with a quiet brand of guitar and beautifully imaginative lyrics, but he has since evolved from that mold and put three excellently talented band members around him. But of course you all know this already because I've reviewed The Antlers nearly 1,500 times right? Anyway, Friday night Peter and The Antlers (um...new band name guys!) rocked out a semi-packed Piano's. Their set opened the same as it did at Knitting Factory just a week earlier (oops, never reviewed that one) with "In the Attic". It's an awesome opening, partly because its the lead track on their amazing LP, andpartly because of the way the song gradually builds through the first few minutes before hitting its climax with all instruments blarring at you from every direction. From there, it's all gorgeoous rhythms, perfect plucking, and of course Peter's lush, Buckley-esque voice dominating the stage. The band has added bits of shoegaze here and there with loads of feedback and reverb filtering in through the sound, and the addition of the banjo being played with a bow adds a haunting element to The Antlers' sometimes dark music.

However you slice it The Antlers are hands down the best band in New York right now. Few people make a sound like they do, and even fewer do it as well as they do. It's entertaining, imaginative, and intelligent all in the same breath and if you have failed to heed my repeated advice about this band you will surely feel you missed out when Peter blows up in a few months. Mark my words, this is a band you must see!!!!

(P.S. - My apologies to Bridges and Powerlines, I got a bit ill from something I ate earlier in the day and darted out of the venue as The Antlers played their last note. I'll do better next time.)