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

Web exclusive: Shiny Toy Guns at Birdy's

 

Beta Male, Shiny Toy Guns
Birdy’s Bar & Grill
Sunday, Oct. 7

It was polka dots, Sunday’s Colts jerseys, scenesters and mods as far as the eye could see Oct. 7 at Birdy’s. Seemingly the same crowd that graced the venue last winter to see The Rapture showed up again for TwinPeaks, Beta Male and headliners, L.A.’s Shiny Toy Guns.

Birdy’s has established itself as the venue music fans keep returning to — it’s got enough of a dive bar atmosphere mixed with a national tour appeal to make it the hotspot for Indianapolis’ Battle of the Bands, as well as Live Nation’s choice for high-brow alternative shows. The bar and grill is a magnet for diverse music aficionados, as it’s more intimate than an amphitheater and more upscale than a coffee house.

“Don’t say you want me. Don’t say you need me. Don’t say you love me. It’s understood …” As the hum of Depeche Mode’s “It’s No Good” fades from TwinPeaks’ opening DJ set, Beta Male takes the stage.

I’ve heard a good buzz around town about this new act. Even Wayne “The Barfly” Bertsch recommends Beta Male. As for my take: I am mostly surprised at the technical skills and upper body strength of the lead singer, who is also the drummer — an uncommon combination in the music industry. But, of course, as I realize it’s P. David Hazel from the former Extra Blue Kind, I understand.

And who’s that hiding behind the lanky, skilled bassist, Tyler Bowman? Why, it’s Indy’s own legend — Vess Ruhtenberg, wailing riffs of steel on his electric guitar. So much for being inconspicuous! This talented local has his hands full. He’s also a member of the hit rock band Action Strasse (see the review of their show from the Melody Inn on Oct. 5 in this week’s NUVO).

Then I see two fashionable keyboardists moving their hips to the trance-like rock and synth harmony. Jess Hack wears movie star sunglasses while hitting her Korg keys, and P. David’s wife, Allison Hazel, celebrates her birthday with a tiara on her head and a sway in her step as she pounds on her Alesis synth.

Beta Male’s straight-ahead, late ’90s rock sound, tinged with distorted, electronic goodness, makes songs like “Husband’s Girlfriend” and “Mirrorball” melt in your ears.

While “Alpha Hazel” (Allison) puts on a show all smoke-and-mirrors-like (she even dances in a hula hoop like a high-paid stripper in front of the gaping crowd), she nevertheless plays her keyboard with a similar sensual grit of Sarah Balliet, the platinum-haired cellist from Bloomington’s Murder By Death.

With P. David’s nearly perfect vocals, Ruhtenberg pushes the band forward with crescendos and signature guitar licks. Bowman plays a funky bass line like a Zeppelin master, just more modern. And the highlight, other than the highly addictive song, “Mirrorball,” comes when Beta Male covers the Porno for Pyros’s “Pets.”

Nearing 10 p.m. Sunday night, the Birdy’s crowd huddles around the stage, sweaty, as red lights flash in a smoke smog. What sounds like the intro to a doom metal track somewhere along the lines of My Dying Bride creeps out of the speakers; I believe it’s just a clever attempt at a last minute soundcheck on stage for the headliners.

Moments later, Carah Faye of Shiny Toy Guns, all tattooed up in her loveliness, hops on stage with her three bandmates, as “Starts With One” begins, led by the sweet vocals of Chad Petree.

It’s been about two years since Shiny Toy Guns last played in Indy, but some familiar fans are present, shouting out lyrics as “Jackie Will Save Me” throws Faye into a head-throbbing, mic-handling stronghold. Faye stands out with Joan Jett moves; she could go rounds with any male rocker any day.

The band’s anthem rock brings a full, big city sound to Birdy’s — all honest guts and glory. With clear, audible vocals and smooth compositions, as well as a punk rock stage show, it’s no wonder why Universal signed Shiny Toy Guns. The band even had a flawless transition between guitars during a tech problem, and the song never faltered.

“Le Disko” sent girls into an angst-y jive, and then bassist/programmer Jeremy Dawson laughed, “We’re gonna do another love song,” transitioning the group into “Shaken,” a pseudo ballad.

“Rainy Monday” inspired some dancing and hand claps, and Faye took over on bass, while Dawson hit the Roland keys. Other songs of note that Shiny Toy Guns performed include “Don’t Cry Out” and “Chemistry of a Car Crash,” as well as pretty much everything from their full-length debut, “We Are Pilots.” But the song of the evening, rounding out the energy and intensity of the entire concert, was the killer love song and single, “You Are One.”