Thunder Body: 9/1/2012
Last weekend, Thunder Body opened the Java Barn's fall 2012 show schedule. "The musical chemistry in this group is deep" drummer Matt O'Brian from told me in an interview. Returning to open the barn for a second time, and play for a fourth, it was clear that the musical chemistry between the group and this venue run deep as well. Not only is their sound perfect for the space, the band has a rich history with Java. Before coming to play with Thunder Body, both Matt O'Brian and Rachel Orke had played with Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad at one of the old Java Barn sites. Rachel also came to Java shows when she studied at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, making her a Java veteran if I've ever seen one.
Band member Brian Blatt shared that he loves coming to Java because "everybody is into it and gettin down and dancing. The energy is fantastic in the room." Saturday night proved no different for Java; the music was tight, the dancing was loose, and the passion pouring out of the five musicians that graced our stage with their presence was evident. Self proclaimed as "an adventure in sound, [and] a sweet soul experience", Thunder Body did not disappoint. Their sound adventure featured drummer and singer Matt on stage, accompanied by band members Rachel (analog keyboard/melodica), Sam Snyder (guitar), Jeremiah Pacheco (bass), and Brian (trunk of tricks). Brian's unique and precise skills on the theramin, along with the various objects he uses as instruments pulled out of his trunk, help give Thunder Body the mystifyingly unique sound you heard if you stopped by the barn Saturday night.
From my perch on the stairs leading up to the stage during the second set, I could see a sea of enthusiastic music lovers groovin’ and movin’ to Thunder Body’s sound, spilling out into the surrounding campus area. The band played two sets that included some of my personal favorites, "Ancestors", "Wind Blows Harder", "Glide", and of course many a Java-goers favorite, "Body Song". Early on in the night, they introduced us to "Elliot's Song", written for Matt's new born nephew. Other new songs that will be available to hear on RadioActive, the band’s second EP (coming out in November), were also played throughout the evening including the title track. The new songs brought a freshness to performance, while still preserving the bands' unique sound.