It was an odd communion: a night of band-audience bonding, angelic harmonies and a surreal mini-musical soap opera episode. There was a relatively small but surprisingly boisterous and supportive crowd for a Monday night, and Ryan commented how it was like playing for a bunch of friends at home. I had expected the gentle melodies and bucolic harmonies from their two eps, and I certainly got that, but what I also got were some furious jams, mind-bending ethereal to thrasher mood swings, and a heaping helping of unhinged madness in the form of an over-the-top rendition of R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet Chapter Two.” The original is bizarre enough, but Warm Weather’s version, with guitarist Ryan in a long blond wig, was truly inspired and something they seemed perfectly well-suited for (what this says, I’m not sure). It was a wonderfully camp adventure, though at the same time convincing as a piece of musical theater, as these guys have the moves and the vocal chops to pull it off.
Warm Weather videos:
Bull Run / (Be My Baby) | #2 | #3 | Trapped in the Closet Chapter Two (R. Kelly)
(still getting familiar with their recordings; song titles coming… eventually)
