Absynthe Minded, Café de la Danse (30 Oct)

If any of you have been to Cafe de la Danse you know it is a small, intimate venue. The show was private, but it looked like the word got out because it was packed. I had to stand for the first half of the show on the side until someone made room for me to sit. At this point my legs felt like logs, but in all honesty it made no difference, my ears were still in shock from the multi-talented violinist Renaud Ghilbert shifting his violin on its side and shredding it like a guitar for five minutes. The show as a whole was solid but unimpressive lyrically and visually. I almost think that is the beauty of this (Belgian) band, they have no set genre so they keep the canvas blank, I guess they let the music be the judge of who they are. Bert Ostyn the lead guitarist and vocals was good – his voice is soft and not rigid which gives for a clean musical experience, but also lacks the soul and age that you sometimes find in other bands of this stature. I think with more time and more focusing of where they want there music to go, either eclectic jazz to indie jam, this band will become stronger on all fronts. They are already signed with Universal so someone else sees great potential to make a buck off them. I hope to see them again in Paris, only next time with a tad more energy and spunk.
www.absyntheminded.be/