Mahjongg ~ Emperor X @ The Billiken Club 1/31/09

Once I got past the potent nicotine scent of the dancing scenester next to me, the creepy trench coat on the adult in the front row, and the fact that they teased us with a smoke machine and then didnt use it during the show, the Mahjongg show last night was pretty awesome. The Billiken Club stopped using the fountain soda machine so that plan was foiled, but we did see Matt and his artistic pal as well as the concert girls (one of which I found out is Claire).

Emperor X kicked off the night with a two part set. He set the scene of the first by playing acoustic (and no mic) out in the center of the floor. The crowd provived claps and specific key background notes to add a full effect. With a voice like Jeff Mangum and satirical lyrics, I really enjoyed part A. Then part B kicked off on the main stage with So Many Dynamos as the backing band. It was soo cool. All of them were really cool and energetic guys, adding shouts and hammering effects to make an incredible atmosphere. I am really excited to get some material from these guys soon.

After a long struggle getting the mics and keys just right, Mahjongg took the stage at around 11:00. I dont know any of their song names so I cant really provide a setlist, but the show was really energetic and the perfect mix of tribal percussion and disco-trip electronica to get the crowd moving. The lead singer grooved in place with a Hawaiian shirt and a Lil Wayne style voice box. A poweful chaos pad and tight drummer added to the groove. They put on a great show and we hit the road with aching calves and ankles. The trip home was spent with a awesome play of Dinosaur Jr.'s Youre Living All Over Me. I dont think that comment was beside the point.