What do you get if a group of squirrels, Ted Lasso, and the Grim Reaper walk into a bar? You get a Halloween Tiny Moving Parts concert in Iowa City.
On Oct. 31, Tiny Moving Parts, Greywind, and Action/Adventure performed at Gabe’s. The venue itself was dimly lit, as usual, and accompanied by Halloween decorations. As more people made their way into the venue, the chatter grew louder and the energy increased.
Tiny Moving Parts took the stage sporting blue hoods and blue face paint. In the spirit of Halloween, they had dressed as The Blue Man Group. Their sound could be described as emo rock with screaming vocals and loud guitar riffs accompanied by powerful bass lines.
The crowd responded perfectly to this energy, bobbing their heads and waving their arms while shouting the lyrics. The singer and guitarist, Dylan Mattheisen, went to the front of the stage and ripped out very impressive guitar solos with the crowd complimenting in loud cheers of approval.
Before Tiny Moving Parts took the stage, there were a couple of bands that opened; Greywind was the first.
Greywind is a band hailing all the way from Killarney, Ireland. It is normally a two-person band made up of siblings Steph and Paul O’Sullivan, but for the tour, they brought a larger crew to play their music live.
Being from Ireland, you could hear the group’s inspiration coming from bands like “The Cranberries” and “U2” with their loud drums and simple yet powerful guitar parts. Not only was it reflected in the instrumentation, but it was also evident in the layering of dynamic vocals.
Greywind gave the audience a treat by playing their most popular breakout song, “In Autumn.” This song strayed from what seemed to be their usual sound — a song that doesn’t even have drums at the start, and instead a simple guitar melody and Steph O’Sullivan’s voice over the top.
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These vocals were much calmer and allowed the audience to sway with the music. A booming four-on-the-floor drumbeat entered the song, building suspense listeners felt in their chests. The climax of the song featured a half-time drum breakdown with much more use of symbols and an augmented vocal melody that was accompanied by heavier guitars with more gain.
The second and final opening act was a band called Action/Adventure, or A/A. A/A is a band coming from Chicago with a punk rock sound, using incredibly skilled instrumentation and loud, often screaming, vocals.
One standout about this band’s live performance is they had amazing energy on stage. All members were constantly smiling and jumping around onstage, which in turn made the crowd more invested.
The crowd was very open to dancing and getting their hands up. The band’s lead singer, Blake Everisto, often invited the crowd to raise their hands up and down, which added much more energy and enthusiasm to the concert.
The band used a lot of techniques foundational to the genre they represent. Halftime drum breaks, pinch harmonics, and power chords were used fluently throughout their songs.
A/A’s most popular song, “Barricades,” was played as their penultimate setlist track. This song is a high-energy anthem that includes fast-paced drums and loud guitar. It also addresses many stereotypes and political problems the band is passionate about.
Tiny Moving Parts, Action/Adventure, and Greywind brought high energy to Gabe’s and invited the crowd to participate, resulting in an enthusiastic listening experience.