Yellow Ostrich @Mercury Lounge, Apr. 12th

Met up with emmyjane and Lise for a cheap early show at the Mercury Lounge which worked great with my early-to-bed schedule.  We fell in love with the song "Whale" by Yellow Ostrich on turntable.fm, and sure enough, lead guitarist/vocalist Alex Schaaf kicked off the set with the lovely tune.  Being up front by the stage afforded us a good view of Schaaf as he worked his collection of looping and effects pedals, effortlessly creating harmonies with himself and layering rhythms.  He was backed by a drummer and  a multi-instrumentalist who filled in the gaps, but the real star was Schaaf.

(More words, and a pic after the jump.)


I wondered if his sound would be different if he had a full band.  Maybe looping pedals are a substitute for other musicians for a band on a budget.  I have a feeling we caught this band at the right moment in time, in a small venue where such things are viewed as charming and DIY.  I can't imagine how Yellow Ostrich would fare in a large venue.  Will they have to alter their approach?

Anyway, I had a nice time that evening with a few ladies from turntable.fm.  And, being on my newfound vinyl kick, I purchased the band's current album and had Schaaf autograph it for me.  Wheeeee!