audio-files
Five dead men at the controls
Live (die) PILOT loses their sound, audience
By Cassie Hood
hoodc@mscd.edu
Imagine going out to see a hot new band. Their buzz is great and the album promising. The band starts to play, but it's nothing like the album. In fact, it isn't even good and the band barely acknowledges the existence of the audience. The show ends up being nothing but a letdown.
The band is (die) PILOT and the only good part of this scenario is that the tickets were free.
The band's sound is inconsistent. There's a disconnect between the album and the live show. On their album, each song spins a picturesque dream of emotion. The music loops around the eardrums and refuses to let go. With every new track a new sensation is born. They make folk into a spacey mind trip. Just don't ask what it means. "I'm not trying to send any message," Peter Antypas said angrily. "I hate art that has an agenda."
Unfortunately, the live show offers nothing more than rock 'n' roll set to a lyrical electric violin. The dreamy sound still exists, but it's buried beneath the heaps of noise. They hint at an intensity that will draw the audience in, but they never reach that point. Each song is played one right after another. The band completely unplugs, as if they have forgotten the crowd exists.
There is no chance for the audience to be drawn into the show, no explanation of each song, no "thanks for coming out." The only exchange between band and audience is Eugene Brown saying, "This song is called 'My Daddy Beat Me So I Dyed My Hair Black." With at least three of the songs, Brown used a variation on the same intro "I Was Beaten So..." It's supposed to be funny, but abuse isn't funny. The lame attempt at humor fits, though. (die) PILOT tries to be entertaining, but they fail miserably.
The audience would be better off staying at home, listening to the album and imagining sitting in front of a black stage. The sound would be better and they'd get the same degree of interaction.
The group started back in 2002 as an acoustic duo called Teardress. Brown and his childhood friend Justin Wright drew their influences from Woody Guthrie, Bright Eyes, Wilco and Radiohead. After several line-up changes, a self-released EP and a name change, Wright and Brown moved from Covington, Ky (which Brown called the "black hole of the country") to Colorado. The band expanded with a new bass player (who quit), a keyboardist (who quit) and drummer/producer Antypas. Wright quit the band for personal reasons. The only explanation they offer for such a high turnover rate is "personal reasons." That must be what the cool kids are calling clashing egos these days.
The band's current line-up consists of Brown (guitar/vocals), Antypas (keyboard/guitar), Gavin Cassens (drums), Matt Chalupsky (bass), and Paul Jansen (electric violin).
(die) PILOT released a full-length album in March that is only available online.
"We sold some, but we found that when we had them we just ended up giving them out for free," Brown said. "It is just more beneficial this way." The Website says, "Because (die) PILOT started as, and always has been about the music, they offer the entire 11 tracks of Radiation, Weather, Art for free download." It's a noble sentiment-or just a clever way of saying they can't sell any albums.
After playing shows in Denver all summer the band decided to take the next month off to work on their new album. Brown said the album will offer some new songs and a few old songs rerecorded. Hopefully, this album will bridge the gulf between their current recorded and live sound. Unfortunately, that might kill the only good thing they have going for them.
