Pianos Become the Teeth
May 13, 2015
St. Vitus- Brooklyn, NY
St. Vitus, though a small venue, was sold out Wednesday night for Pianos Become the Teeth. A few hours before the show, just over 20 more tickets were released for sale. Some fans showed up at the door shortly after they opened hoping tickets would still be available, but they were out of luck. The tickets must have gone fast, and a few fans had to travel back home without seeing the show. Pianos went on stage at about 11:00 p.m. The back room where bands perform is very small, and very intimate. There is no backstage area, only a downstairs room called the “Green Room” for bands to hang out in before and after their sets. This required band members to walk through the crowd to get onto and off the stage, which was a different feel from most venues. It allowed for more personal interaction with bands, which was a plus for fans.
The vibe Pianos gave off was both mellow and cathartic at the same time. The sound shifted seamlessly from distorted guitars to more melodic strumming. It was relaxing and high energy at once, creating an interesting dynamic on stage and in the crowd. Some of Pianos setlist included Late Lives off of their latest album, Keep You, and the 2013 single, Hiding, from a Split 7” with the band Touche Amore`. Songs from Keep You proved that the band has been exploring new 
territory with their sound. As is typical with many bands, Pianos seemed to be evolving from its earlier stages. The songs gave off a calmer feel, but somehow maintained the same energy as the two previous studio albums. Screamed vocals that were prevalent on the first two albums were lacking on this one. This translated to a different live performance. Fans may prefer it or long for the sound they’re used to. The feeling is difficult to describe, but when you hear songs off Keep You, you are able to hear a significant difference in Piano’s sound and specifically in the lead vocals. After hearing the songs, there is also an understanding of how music can be simultaneously soft and hard. On Wednesday nigh, a variety of songs were played, and there was not a focus on one particular album.
Lead singer Kyle Durfey appeared to be completely immersed in the music around him. He walked around the stage throughout the set, often turning his back to the audience either to sing or just observe his band mates. Other times, he leaned as far as he could into the crowd so that fans were essentially holding up his torso while he sang, his body almost limp, with only his toes barely touching the stage floor. You could see and feel his connection to the lyrics he was singing as he let the crowd hold him for a few moments. He also continuously grabbed a steel rafter on the ceiling, looking as though he might try to swing from it. His actions showed a sense of restlessness that somehow complimented the despondence that appeared in some of his lyrics. He later put the microphone in front of a few zealous fans in the first row, but kept most of the vocals for himself. Drummer David Haik went hard the whole night as could be seen by his long hair flying in every direction as he feverishly kept the beat of each song. Guitarists Mike York and Chad McDonald held down the right side of the stage while bassist Zac Sewell enjoyed his own space on the left side. He needed a bit more space as he was moving his bass back and forth, and up and down to the rhythm of the music. Sewell emitted a sense of tranquility on one side of the stage while McDonald and York brought more of a frenzied energy to the other side. Their respective actions represented the nature of the music Pianos makes, bringing together chaos and composition.
Part of a wave of new post hardcore acts, fittingly called “The Wave,” PBTT played a form of post rock with typically personal, highly emotional lyrics. Pianos signed with Epitaph records in 2014 and that same year released Keep You under the label, which is their third studio album. The Baltimore, Maryland based band will be touring until May 23rd, and then taking a break before playing in Atlanta, Georgia on August 8th.
Review by: Ashley Rodriguez
