“Mute Math” Live

On Tuesday night my wife and I saw Mute Math play live at “In the Venue” in SLC.  First of all, I have to say, “In the Venue” is a dumb name for a concert hall.  It’s like a band named “We’re the Band.”  Also, what is the deal with that place?  Sometimes you go to a concert there and it’s in the larger area upstairs, which is mostly good, and other times, like Tuesday, the concert is downstairs in this cramped, poorly ventilated, hole that does not even deserve to be called a bar.  It’s like the bar’s crappy basement.  And there’s no warning.  You never really know until you get there where the concert will be held.  My guess is that it’s totally dependent on ticket sales, but I have no idea.  The weather also may be a factor, as it seems to me that the larger area is open at the top and maybe they can’t use it in poor weather(?).  It seems like they sometimes refer to the downstairs area as “Club Sound,” but there is no consistency about this.  And let me tell you, the downstairs crap hole is a deathtrap.  If there were ever a fire in there, the chances that everyone is getting out alive are about nil.

Funny thing, though, “In the Venue” seems to get all the great bands.  I can’t figure it out.  There’s this great place just a couple blocks away called “The Depot.”  Really nice.  New.  Roomy.  Like “House of Blues” nice, only nicer.  But that place mostly gets a lot of geriatric has-beens or lame wannabes (not always, but mostly).  Who books the shows for these places?  Does “In the Venue” have a better booking guy (or gal)?  Better connections?  Just been in the biz longer?  I don’t get it.  I would really love to know, but maybe it’s just one of the mysteries of the music bidness.  You know, like Snoop Dog.

Mute Math was playing with Eisley, a band of “three sisters, their brother and their best friend” from Texas.  I haven’t heard much about Eisley before but, despite the fact that it’s hard to tell if they’re having any fun, they were impressive.  Especially considering how young they look.  

Mute Math is in a whole different category, though.  This is a band from the Big Easy that appears to have only one album so far, but they play like rock veterans.  Have you ever heard a band that you like on CD but their recorded music is nothing compared to their live act?  Have you ever seen a cool band where the lead guy plays a keytar?  Have you ever seen a drummer who duct tapes his headphones to his head at the beginning of the set?  Well, that’s Mute Math, and they are just flat, freaking, crazy, brilliant live.  They seem to be out to make their case, with every performance, that they are the best live band out there.  Their drummer, Darren King, is riveting.  He may be the hardest working drummer in rock today.  He is certainly one of just a handful who are legitimate stars in their own right.  If you haven’t seen these guys yet, don’t pass up the opportunity.