Tune-Yards Make Quirky Fun and Cool at The Fine Line
There's such a thrill in walking into an unknown show. You don't quite know what you'll get, don't know what the vibe will be, and that's exciting to me. I did very little research on either of the two acts playing The Fine Line on Wednesday night. I showed up, got my camera ready, found a good spot in the crowd, and waited to see whatever the night would bring, all with a smile on my face and a pep in my step (even though, yes, I am tired because, yes, I am on a bit of a concert bender right now).
Kassa Overall was the sole opening act of the night. I was intrigued as the stage was set up for just two people, a vocalist/bassist and a drummer. Don't get me wrong, I've seen duos many times before, but something had my spidey senses tingling that this was not going to be like any other duo I've ever seen before, and those senses were right. After Kassa, the drummer, gave the audience a little story about how his father had actually lived in the Twin Cities at one time, and there had been some pretty wild stories about that time shared, we were off into Kassa Overall's world. It was a world of peace and calm, yet also marked by stunning musicianship. Kassa beat at the drumset but with a sense of patience and tenderness. Kassa's friend, Julio (I hope I spelled that right; my apologies if I didn't), started plucking at the bass, creating elaborate lines of notes that danced over the drums.
Stylistically, I would call Kassa Overall's music jazz rap. Is that a new term to you? Honestly, it was new to me up until just a couple of years ago, but it's become a go-to style of music for my tougher days. It's chill. Cool, calm, and collected, yet with an energy that makes it infectious and inescapable. Moments of jazzy improvisation are juxtaposed by more hip-hop-oriented beats and, often, lyrics to match. This creates such a rollercoaster ride of an experience, and although I have listened to this style of music before, Wednesday night was my first time experiencing it live. I couldn't have asked for a better act to usher me down the live side of this genre. Kassa made the sound fun, and although it was definitely complicated when it came to the actual musicianship behind each song, he and Julio made it so accessible and easy to understand in a way.
Headlining this Wednesday night show was Tune-Yards. I'll be honest, I have seen this band name time and time again throughout the years, but Wednesday night was my first time plunging into their world, and, honestly, I think I'll go ahead and just stay here from now on. The sound of Tune-Yards, like Kassa Overall, was part familiar, part completely unique and fresh. Sure, you could call this band an indie-rock band, but really, I think it is more of a "creative project" than any specific genre. The first thing that caught my attention as this duo kicked into their set was the amount of sound that these two humans could produce. With Merrill Garbus behind the bare-bones drums, microphone, and various other instruments, including a ukulele, and Nate Brenner on bass and another microphone, I watched in wonder as the two created lush landscapes of sound —both familiar and unfamiliar. It didn't take me long to catch on to the fact that the third member of this band was the looping pedals in front of both musicians. I've seen looping happen before. It's honestly nothing new and something that has almost become par for the course when it comes to some genres I see on the regular, but the way that this duo used it felt so unique and creative.
Everything that Tune-Yards seemed to do was unique. Every sound felt like exploring a new world, even if said sound only lasted for a fleeting moment. At times, it was almost hard for me to follow just because it was hard for my head to figure out how certain sounds were being made. At the same time, Tune-Yards created a world that was so easy to get lost in. Not only was their music interesting and, ultimately, cohesive, but the energy these two individuals brought to the Fine Line stage was electric.
You know that feeling of jealousy when you see someone who clearly doesn't care what anyone thinks about them, and they will do whatever makes them happy, because, at the end of the day, why try to be anything other than what you want? That's what I felt throughout Tune-Yards' set. I felt like I just was not cool enough to be any close to this duo's orbit, yet there I was, taking it all in like an outsider, wondering what the other side feels like. I got to feel that other side, and it was as beautiful as it was electrifying, and I hope that what I took away from watching these two amazing musicians doing their magic and wizardry on stage, seemingly without a care in the world, lasts for a very, very long time.
