RIDING 'THE LIGHTING' WITH GRAND BUFFET

Riding 'the lightning' with Grand Buffet

Daily Collegian | April 16, 2008

This Thursday, to use Grand Buffet's own words, the city of Northampton will ideally resemble "Tel Aviv, but with more iced cinnamon bun franchises."

Whatever the band thinks of the city upon their arrival, the atmosphere within the Iron Horse Music Hall will be entirely under their collective control, echoing the raw energy and humor of the exuberant showmen.

To claim that Grand Buffet have a flair for the dramatic would be a gross understatement. The lively Pittsburgh hip-hop duo possesses enough enthusiasm and stage monikers to span an orchestra worth of musicians. Lord Grunge (also known as Jarrod Weeks and at times Viceroy) and Jackson O'Connell-Barlow (also known as Grape-A-Don and Plaps) combine their talents to create an impressive array of beats, energy and outlandish lyrics. With a musical career now spanning a decade, the duo have found themselves of late touring with critically-acclaimed bands such as the similarly theatrical Of Montreal, inspiring listeners along their travels with their two-pronged free-flowing attack. Now, in the midst of a headlining tour, the spotlight is directly placed on the duo.

"We don't have any instruments to hide behind or channel through," O'Connell-Barlow told the Daily Collegian via an online interview earlier in the week of their live performances. "We got to pour ourselves out into that empty space."

"It's a rush," added Weeks. "It's like being in a cage fight naked."

While on tour, the band has been unveiling songs from their newest album "King Vision," a release the band admits is a sure sign of their musical progression. When asked about this shift, Weeks said, "I think the evolution of our sound is essential. I've got enough reasons to want to kill myself. Making a record that sounded just like one we made eight years ago isn't a reason I want to add to that list."

Described by O'Connell-Barlow as a concept album with a more prog-pop sound, the album features rhymes that delve into more prominent social and political issues than some of the duo's past works.

"[The album] is over the top in its sincerity and sound in defiance of all the safe, 'subversive' hipster-magazine soundtrack bands out there snorting coke at art gallery parties whilst America is dying," said O'Connell-Barlow. "We put our balls on the chopping block with this 'heart on our sleeve' type of record. The sound of this album tends to soar more than sneak, so it runs the risk of getting shot down."

Still present throughout the length of the disc, however, is the band's unmistakable lyrical flow and ability to craft rhymes that are as identifiable with as they are, at times, outrageous. When asked about the inspiration behind their music and the creative process that fuels it, O'Connell-Barlow stated plainly, "I like using words that feel good in my mouth," while Weeks attributed, "dog sh*t-cheap wine," to being his muse in crafting the band's backing beats.

"I sit and listen to the beat for hours waiting for the wisdom of the collective unconscious/gods to add substance to whatever rhythmic pattern I've worked out," said O'Connell-Barlow, further elaborating on the creative process. With lyrics that revolve around such topics as brown bears with masonry skills on "Bears and Bricks" and meteorites crashing into fish tanks on the newly released "Cheesecake Money," O'Connell-Barlow's subconscious is truly something to behold.

On one of the band's most popular and established songs, "Benjamin Franklin Music," the duo urge their listeners to "feel the lightning inside," a sentiment that has not been lost over the past decade of creating music. "The power and resolve of the self-loving, self-respecting, self-aware individual is the closest thing to magic I've yet to witness," said Weeks.

With their performance Thursday, both members hope the audience can, as they put it, "shake off the frozen bumblebees and generate the lightning," and transform the Iron Horse into a venue of limitless possibilities.

Grand Buffet plays Thursday, April 17 with opening acts B. Dolan and Party Wolf at The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton. Doors open for the event at 10 p.m. and tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door.