Unwed Sailor, Auto!Automatic!!, The Dark Romantics, History
Words: Christian Crider
Photo: Christian Crider

Appeared:
August 25, 2007
New World Brewery, Ybor City

The atmosphere at New World Brewery is unforgettable, especially on a hot night in the urban swamp of Ybor City. Of course, the tasty beers tend to stave off the heat—and if the music is just right global warming begins to feel like a myth.

From Winter Park, History kicked off the show with a stunning performance. History’s live show is best described as an energetic wall of sound with a sense of urgency. At times I found myself sucked into the hypnotic spell of the incredible drumming and the surprisingly audible duo of keyboards. Certainly the most explosive act of the night, History’s recently finished album Ghosts in the City will be out in November.

The Dark Romantics made a somewhat puzzling appearance as an acoustic/electric duo. In stark contrast to the band’s other work, this stripped down performance was surprisingly gloomy yet laced with the pine-fresh scent of folk.

Unwed Sailor made an outstanding appearance despite the stifling heat. As any fan of post-rock knows, there is still a lot of ground to be covered in instrumental rock. Creating a beautiful melody at a turtle’s pace is something Unwed Sailor does really well. The bass guitar played a notable role in their performance, and this separates them from many post-rock groups whose bass is far less defined or simply swallowed by noise. If you’re a fan of Mogwai or Six Parts Seven and you have yet to jam Unwed Sailor into your eardrums then check them out as soon as humanly possible.

Tampa natives Auto! Automatic!! closed the show on a vibrant note. Guitarist Brian Larson’s uncanny fingerwork exposes the incredible lack of standout guitarists in the instrumental scene. With complex up-tempo jams Auto!Automatic!! is easily the most danceable band in their genre.

The show ended on an exceedingly positive—if not sweaty—note. My ever existent hunger for good instrumental music was satisfied, and my stomach was half-full with the sweet nectar of Apricot beer.