The Book of Right On and Humanda at the Turf Club, 1/15/11

Photos by Ben Clark

David Joe Holliday of the Book of Right On

​The Book of Right On and Humanda
January 15, 2011
Turf Club, St. Paul

"You guys are like the human version of Hot Topic," David Joe Holliday scoffed between songs, motioning to the rows of patrons at the Turf Club who had seated themselves at the bar's sideline of booths and tables. "All your bangs are parted to the left."

Though the small, low-key crowd seemed to distract Holliday and the Book of Right On toward the beginning of their set, they eventually settled into a groove, hammering through the percussive and syncopated songs from last year's All These Songs About Music and sprinkling in a few new tunes. The band was headlining the Turf's fifth night back in business since it shuttered to deal with some management changes at the beginning of this month, but for the most part things were business as usual at the beloved St. Paul rock scene staple.

Wearing a bass guitar strap emblazoned with the words "BE REASONABLE" (advice we can all take to heart in these bitterest of cold winter days), Holliday commanded the room with his one-of-a-kind, rollicking punk rock jams, coaxing the crowd out of their seats and prompting one particularly excited fan to rush toward the edge of the stage with a tray full of appreciative shots. The backing musicians were in top form as well, trading off between blasting full-force by blowing horns and clanging on empty steel canisters and stepping away from the mics for full-band, harmonic shout-alongs.

​

Photos by Ben Clark

​But the guests of honor on this night were actually opening act Humanda, who were unleashing a new six-song handmade cassette type, Château Mammal.

True story: The first time I saw Humanda, I was biking around Lake Calhoun and noticed a pair of unassuming twentysomething dudes setting up stacks of sound equipment and keyboards underneath a bridge. They only got a few songs into their set before getting hassled by the police and sending their small audience scattering into the summer evening, but I've been intrigued by their entrancing, experimental electro music since that fateful day last summer in South Minneapolis.

In the club setting, Humanda's looping, mostly instrumental songs blossomed into sprawling, sparkling soundscapes, with dual live drums adding an extra depth and momentum to their pretty, synthesized arrangements. The snares especially helped to break the trance of their otherwise droning and subtle, shimmering jams.

Though the duo's vocals were distorted and layered deep into the mix during their live show, their lyrics and melodies are actually highlighted much more significantly on Château Mammal, lending their songs an Animal Collective air. The release was offered on cassette at their show, each copy lovingly nestled into a handmade fabric pouch - and luckily, for those of us lacking cassette tape players in our homes and cars, it also came with a free mp3 download of the six-song EP plus a bonus track, "The Closing."

​

Photos by Ben Clark

​Critics' Bias: I'm a sucker for bands discovered under bridges.
The crowd: Sparse but attentive, for the most part.
Overheard in the crowd: "Now it's a real bar, complete with sticky floors!" laughed new manager Josh James, grinning ear-to-ear as he mopped up a mess of spilled shots on the floor in front of the stage.
Random notebook dump: The Turf appears to be in great hands. There were no huge changes to report, save for the basement bar being roped off for the time being. Everything else about the place felt pretty familiar and friendly. Also, I was sorry to miss openers Wizard are Real, who were just packing up their gear when I arrived at the club.