This past Friday night, a few hundred people were witness to the liveliness of TV On the Radio, a band which blends hip-hop, noise and rock to create an entirely unique sound. Originally formed by members Tunde Abdebimpe (vocals/loops) and David Andrew Sitek (guitars/keys/loops), the group made its debut with the self-released album OK Calculator. After its release, Abdebimpe and Sitek were joined by Kyp Malone (vocals/guitars/loops) and released Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (LP) and Young Liars (EP) which won them the Shortlist Music Prize. The band has quickly earned a reputation for creating highly-energetic songs which bridge such a wide variety of genres as soul, electronica, blues and rock. Listening to the band's studio recordings raises questions about how the songs could be recreated live, however on last Friday night, from their opening song, "Wrong Way," TV On the Radio dispelled any fears about their ability to play their own music live.
TV On the Radio's current tour is to promote their major label debut, Return to Cookie Mountain, released by Interscope records. On this latest album the band has grown to include Jaleel Bunton (drums) and Gerard Smith (bass). These new members help flesh out the bands sound, leaving behind the repetitive nature of drum loops and samples for more complicated musical forms. When TV On the Radio started playing "Wrong Way," a song off of Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, the band's change was obvious. Bunton and Smith replaced the traditional loops, adding energy and motion to the song. This was somewhat overshadowed, however, but the actions of the lead singer Abdebimpe. From the moment he picked up the microphone Abdebimpe hit his chest the beat of every song, repeatedly knocking over the microphone stand, forcing one of the stage hands to come out almost every song to replace the equipment.
The set consisted largely of songs from Return to Cookie Mountain, including the single "Wolf Like Me," for which the band brought out the singer Katrina Ford, of the band Celebration. Katrina Ford has appeared on several of the bands earlier albums, and was given a loud welcome from the crowd when she took the stage.
Not to be outdone by Abdebimpe, the other members of the band did their part to help get the crowd excited as well. Sitek, most responsible for the aspects of noise found in TV On the Radio's music, appeared on stage with a wind chime tied to the head of his guitar. Throughout the performance Sitek could be seen waving his guitar in front of one of Abdebimpe's microphones. The other guitarist, Kyp Malone, while not as animated as Sitek, spoke to the crowd several times during pauses between songs. His message was mainly political, urging all members of the audience to vote in the upcoming elections.
The other members of the band, Jaleel Bunton and Gerard Smith, were much less pronounced. Bunton, because of his instrument, was largely obscured by cymbals and toms. Smith, because he was playing all of the bass lines as well as recording and playing loops, was forced to squat near his amp for most of the performance.
TV On the Radio ended their solid stage show by calling the members of the opening act, Grizzly Bear, and welcoming back Katrina Ford, to the stage. Malone then proceeded to teach the audience the final chorus line to "Let The Devil In", which they went into as soon as enough of the audience could competently sing it. The studio recording of "Let The Devil In" involves a large amount of percussion, which was supplied by Bunton, Smith, and all of the members of Grizzly Bear. After the song ended, the band left the stage, and returned for an encore performance of "Staring At The Sun," quite possibly their best known song. The entire performance was filled with action and emotion, which didn't reach a peak until the very end of the concert. TV On the Radio have proved themselves over and over to be a band capable of evolving, and responding to the world around them. This is reflected most obviously in their stage performances. As the band moves from song to song, they make sure the audience moves with them, delivering a performance which is unique entirely to them.
