Magic: The Gathering

Maylee In Ark Analog

The first show of the Music Series for Summerworks 2012 took place Friday night at The Theatre, an adjunct performance space at the Great Hall on Queen Street. Last time I was here, it was packed with industrious arts and crafts sellers. The space has been cleared away for a small stage, in front of an improvised shimmery curtain made of shiny streamers. Graduated risers have been installed but most people elected to dance near the stage.

The opening act was Ark Analog, an electronic music collaboration between Maylee Todd and Dan Werbs (Woodhands). Maylee's electronic forays that I have seen tended to be chill grooves with her tenori-on. These songs have stronger, more insistent beats meant for the dance floor. Dan did most of the instrumentation, moving between synthesizers, loop stations, and even a key-tar. Maylee mostly stuck to singing, though she did use effects pedals to play around with her vocals. Combining her characteristic short, puntuated phrasing with lush synth and heavy beats resulted in some great dance numbers. But there were a few songs that meandered a bit through strange off-kilter beats and chords that sapped a bit of energy from the crowd.

The main band for the night was The Magic, a neo disco band that was all about organ-y synth, funky basslines, and falsetto singing. The leader singer dressed in a gaudy leiderhosen-esque get-up with a giant sequined spider sewn onto his crotch. The Magic kept the party going for more than 1.5 hours. For me, though the music was infectious, there were times when it felt a bit antiseptic. As if all the elements of the genre were there, but some core element was missing. Most of time though, it was dance, dance, dance.

Because the night was billed as a "live show" of the 70s revue Midnight Special, there were dancers in silver suits and a drag queen to keep the crowd going. Confetti were thrown, and balloons were dropped from the balcony.