*Special Edition Post* - Ratatat Live at Terminal 5

Okay. So Ratatat may or may not be a very well-known band, and they definitely did not play in a subway station and/or small hip cafe, but I did see them on Saturday night at Terminal 5. I feel obligated to write about the experience, mainly because they are such a stable music force in my life, having been a favorite band of mine since the age of 15 when I first discovered them. And if it is any conciliation, they have just really started to gain the attention they truly deserve, especially with the release of their newest highly acclaimed album, LP4. Since this blog is about music above all else, I feel like it's acceptable to make one exception to my theme of small time bands with big talent. These are big-time guys, with huge talent. Ratatat is made up of guitarist Mike Stroud, and bass player/ synthesizer, Evan Mast. (Here's an interview they had with Freewilliamsburg, which sums up everything they are.)

Needless to say, I had no idea what to expect when I went to their show last night.

My friend Sarah and I journeyed to Terminal 5, and we found ourselves waiting in a surprisingly short line at around 8:30. Apparently, Ratatat was supposed to go on at 9:30. As soon as we got in, we noticed the place was already pretty packed in. There weren't as many people as there would be later, because the opening band, Bobby Birdman was on. They were alright, certainly got the audience amped up. But by the time Ratatat was supposed to come out, people began to get rowdy. Only seemed natural, because they were taking forever to come out. I want to say they went on at around 9:45, and when they did, my friend Sarah and I were 5 people away from the front, jam-packed tight as EVER dead in the middle of the crowd. We thought we'd be okay, but I felt a push, a shove, and next thing I know, we're both being pushed against our will against hundreds of underage kids with rowdy attitudes.

The first song they played was Mirando, a song off their previous album, which was a fantastic hype-up song because everyone went absolutely ballistic. The crowd swayed all together as one, (I kid you not) but it was incredibly terrifying at the same time. We managed to make our way out, to the very front but on the side, so there was somehow room to dance and actually see these men at their musical work.

I think one of the factors that made this such an unbelievable performance, was the energy these men brought to the stage. Stroud, the guitarist, with his silky long hair constantly being thrown up and down by his head thrashing, made me excited just to see how into the music he was. Mast, on the same page as his accomplice, worked the bass and synthesizer simultaneously...but the best part of the entire performance, was when they would bring out single drums and mallets, at which point they went tribal on everyone's ass. There was pounding, there was sweat, and there were insane amounts of energy. Everyone reacted as they should: raw dancing and happiness.

Behind Ratatat, there were constant projections of the weirdest images you could possibly fathom. Mostly, similar to their music videos. When they played 'Drugs,' they had the music video playing behind them. They also had two tall glass panels standing at the left and right of the stage, on which projections of astronaut string players illuminated throughout the entire performance. There was definitely something to be said about the over-stimulation of every sense, that was this show. It wasn't a negative thing at all, I think it made the show all the more worthwhile and exciting. There were at least four different things occurring on-stage at any given point, whether it was a projection of owls and parakeets, or pink smoke mixed with shiny silver explosive confetti, (saved only for the encore) the unconventional visuals combined with the remarkable energy from the musicians themselves, contributed to quite a interesting experience for the senses.

I'd say that the crowd was definitely the most interesting I've seen in a while. The show wasn't quite a rave vibe, yet there were ravers present. It also wasn't a heavy metal/screamo/punk vibe either, even though I had friends tell me the next day they were nearly trampled to death by the mosh pit. There were a lot of underage kids, a lot of older people on drugs, and some provocative attempted fight-starters. But I think we all came to agree as soon as the music started that all we needed to do was dance. Nobody really cared what happened after the music started.

Rating wise, this show was an absolute 10 out of 10 without doubt. Great energy, fantastic atmosphere and talented performers. My voice was completely gone, (it remains to be found...) and my body was entirely sore the next day, but it was completely worth it.

The first video posted was recorded on my camera, but this was one of my favorite songs they played. I couldn't find live footage from this concert, but this is great quality from another show they played in Texas.