Rooftops, The Stranger Gallery, Pan Pan – Sept 16 – Rogue Hero
This night provided Bellingham concert attendees with the chance to see three local instrumental powerhouses and to watch their incredible technical prowess. What was most exciting about the show was that Rooftops, possibly the most underrated band in town, (mention them to a fan and they will undoubtedly wax poetic about them), were going to play songs from an upcoming full length release that many of us have only heard whispers of.
Pan Pan is an astonishing band for such a young age. Featuring members of the Love Lights, the quartet combines trumpet, piano, upright bass, and drums to create slow building instrumentals with a melancholy jazz feel. The instruments would often join in at different times, allowing each part to stand out as all four musicians built towards a triumphant climax. The songs were sparse and maintained a loose, almost improvised feel. This, coupled with the unique lineup of instruments, makes Pan Pan one of the more distinctive and experimental bands in Bellingham.
The Stranger Gallery is another up and coming band in town with a strong reliance on technical ability. The band delivered a frenzied energy right off the bat, with highly complex drum rhythms playing on top of a backing electronic drum beat. Vocals were interspersed randomly throughout their set, but for the most part they played tightly wound, emotionally charged math rock with an electronic bent. This particular sound is one often employed by many bands, and sometimes it works, but the electronic auxiliary percussion seemed unnecessary. The backing tracks would sometimes get out of time with the rest of the instruments, which ran the risk of destroying The Stranger Gallery’s already strong songs. The added electronic element was interesting, but the playing by the actual live humans in the band was far more exciting.
Bellingham needs the existence of a band like Rooftops. We have our fare share of garage rock, metal, and jam/funk groups, but just the idea alone of a band that is willing to utilize their extraordinary musical capabilities, as well as experiment, is integral in keeping our music scene fresh, lively, and intelligent. Their set, right from the quick blast that was the opening song to their 10-minute closer, was fantastic and full of energy.
The three guitar assault of Johnny McIntyre, Drew Fitchette, and Mark Detrick is an incredible display to watch, with amazingly syncopated rhythms and riffs interweaving in and out of each other. The effect is almost dizzying. While this is happening drummer Wendelin Wohlgemuth attacks his kit, alternating between intricate time signatures and complex polyrhythms. Their music is not just for musicians though, and they maintained a poppy and accessible sound throughout the show, forgoing much of the math rock noodling you see with other bands.
All in all, the night was a fantastic display of local talent and musicianship, and most of the bar patrons left salivating for Rooftops’ debut album.
