INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Web exclusive: Indiana’s all-star Ataris

 

The Ataris, Wax on Radio, Asobi Seksu
Emerson Theater
Sunday, March 11, 7 p.m., $12-$14, all-ages

Indiana natives the Ataris will perform in support of their latest album at the Emerson Theater on Sunday. Titled “Welcome the Night,” the Ataris considers the album its most daring and inspiring to date.

“We really wanted to do something that was honest, adventurous and from the heart,” says frontman Kristopher Roe. “I don’t think it’s such a complete departure, because we’re the same songwriters.”

Combining a bigger sound with the same underlying purity of its previous releases, the Ataris has created a dark soundtrack to winter heartache. Sean Hansen and Shane Chikeles replace previous drummer and bassist Chris Knapp and Mike Davenport for the new album, shaping the band’s sound into something bigger.

Accompanying the Ataris on tour is Wax on Radio, an ambient indie-rock quartet hailing from Chicago. Combing nostalgia and a progressive sound, its sound has been compared to the likes of Bright Eyes and the Mars Volta. Also on the tour is the ambient rock band Asobi Seksu (colloquial Japanese for “playful sex”¯) from Brooklyn, N.Y., combining swirling guitars and effortless bilingual vocals by Japanese frontwoman Yuki. While the three bands hardly share any influences, they all have a big sound and a captivating live show in common.