With three guitarists and a drummer, Earthmen and Strangers is a treat for any rock lover. Beginning the show with a seductive melody, the boys intermingled their alternative strums with hard rock flair, captivating Casbah goers on both sides of the genre. Their sound is quick and speedy, with soft, high pop notes that reminded me of the late 90s. Earthmen and Strangers are soft enough for the radio but hard enough for any real rock fan. The lead is an amazing guitar player, and if you’re not dancing to the melody, you’re completely entranced by his ferocious set of skills. The rhythm was the vocalist, and his soprano pitch went in perfect harmony with his playing, while the drummer kept a high tempo full of energy and spontaneity.

I really enjoyed this band. They weren’t over the top like the other bands on the tour (see my review of The Oh Sees) and pretty much exhibited their skill – not their personality, fashion sense, or talent for drama. These guys just played – and played hard I might add. By the end of the show, the rhythms guitar had gone bust, forcing him to stop playing and singing to fix it. The drummer, bass, and lead then kept a loop going while the rhythm struggled to fix the issue. You may be thinking… “Okay cool,” but what Earthmen and Strangers pulled off was out of the world. The loop lasted like seven minutes! Added to the three they had already been playing before the busted amp, and the guys were dripping with sweat. The bass began to shake his head, almost telling the crowd he was about to give up, but he didn’t, while the lead kept glancing over at the rhythm almost begging him to just solve the problem already. The drummer, after repeating the same tempo over and over again, must have gotten bored, but to our delight he began mixing in all these different techniques so as switch up the cadence and make the vocal-less song a little more interesting.

I began to get nervous for the guys, who were obviously refraining from complete panic, but after awhile the rhythm figured it out, came in on the high notes and helped to end the song with an explosion. The Casbah went nuts! Shocked, impressed, and relieved we had to give these guys their due – that was pretty awesome.

Earthmen and Strangers are an audio delight, refreshingly talented, and creatively different. I couldn’t say they sounded like anyone else since their sound is both original and unique. If you can catch them on tour, have no reservations about paying to see this new band.