School of Seven Bells Perform in the Shadows at FYF Fest

Posted on Sep 5th 2010 11:00AM by Garin Pirnia
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Amanda Merten

Close to the end of FYF Fest Saturday night, New York trio School of Seven Bells hit the stage 20 minutes late but managed to perform their melange of ethereal and transcendent electro-pop to a small crowd. With twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza and guitarist Benjamin Curtis stationed at their posts, the band opened with shoegazy 'Half Asleep' from their 2008 debut record 'Alpinisms.'

Colorful shapes projected onto a screen in the background, but for most of the set, that was the only luminescence available. Dressed in black, the sisters harmonized their melodic songs from new record 'Disconnect from Desire' and blended into the shadows onstage. New song 'Babelonia' came next, which sounded optimistic and got the crowd and band dancing a little.

As the set continued, the background images meshed live footage of the band with archaic wipe and fade video effects, but when the house lights stopped flickering, SVIIB played their remaining few songs in darkness with only the visuals lighting the way. Smoke emitted from onstage, the outline of the palm trees in the distance and the equally darkened audience pit all propelling the dreamy and somewhat Lynchian ambiance forward.

The band alternated between their two albums, but chose to focus more on their latest. On new one 'Bye Bye Bye,' the bass vibrated against the guitar and pounding drums, which contrasted the infectious stylings of poppy 'My Cabal.' After seven songs and an extended set, the band, still immersed in the shadows, ended on a thundering, electronic number with swirling neon images. Curtis held his guitar and made some spastic moves as the rhythms to built to a fever pitch. After Curtis walked to the edge of the stage and clapped to the crowd, SVIIB quietly thanked the crowd and disappeared into the chilly night.