Shiny Toy Guns @ Santos Party House (10/21)

Last night I saw Shiny Toy Guns perform @ Santos Party House. I went to Santos Party House on a limb just because I had never gone, heard a lot about it, and wasn't excited to see any other artist/bands perform tuesday. I waited in line for what felt like an eternity. It was freezing cold, damn near winter weather, and all I had for warmth was a flannel shirt. What made the experience even worse/better? was I didn't even know what I was waiting in line for. I knew I was waiting for a ticket, but to see who?

I'll grade this show via a couple categories.

Atmosphere/Setting: This might have made the show. Decent sized space, fit over 1000 people on one dance floor with a stage, reminded me of the bowery ballroom or even webster hall. Lights, Lights, Lights; they had all kinds of crazy lights going, different strobes, filtered lights, can't forget the fog. Behind the group up on stage were a bunch of demented looking skeletons and other creatures.

Crowd: This is where the night failed. The crowd was a diverse mix of head bangers, hipsters and others. A lotta couples and small groups of girls showed up to this show. The odd hipster guys that wear girls clothes and make up were well represented aswell as the flaboroyantly gay group that I can't seem to avoid in NYC. During the performance the crowd was pretty much dead though. The music was epic but the crowd, not so much.

Music/Performance: I had never heard any music from this group, except for that one song that's popular on the radio ("Rainy Monday"). I think there performance was absolutely amazing! All aspects of the show (sounds, lights, style) were well thought out and added to the stage presence of the band. There were times that I felt like I was at the wrong show though, not because of the band but because I'm not necessarily an organic fan. A few of their songs reminded me of that band Paramore or emo high school rock which wasn't good.

All in all, I'm happy with my first choice of entertainment for CMJ. The Music Marathon is really about discovering NEW bands and removing yourself from your comfort zone to experience new things, with that in mind, the first night of CMJ was a success!

Up Next: The Night of Crystal Castles PT. 2. Wednesday?

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