![Mountains and Mind Wheel at Tufts Oxfam Cafe: A Review
When Mind Wheel begins, some kind of music-induced serenity flows over the crowd of about 30 at Tufts Oxfam Cafe. Derek Kimball sits with his chin in his hand, facing an iMac and a blood-red keyboard he bought himself as a birthday gift. Meanwhile, Matt Brown and Artie Fischer sit cross-legged on the floor, Artie on the guitar, Matt with a sampler. The result flows over and around me like I’m a rock in a steady river. I feel relaxed and one with nature—I don’t know, maybe it’s the animals-in-nature scenes projected on the wall behind them. I close my eyes as Mind Wheel’s epic story plays in my mind’s eye. Everyone claps.
Then Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp walk onstage—really just a section of the cafe that’s been cleared of patron seating and replaced with tables and gear—and each sit behind two white MacBooks. I think about how truly clever it was for Apple to make its logo on the back of its laptops glow—perfect for ambient electronic music shows. I’m suddenly jolted out of my “oh this ‘ol laptop view” thoughts when I see Brendon pick up what looks to be a drum machine with a 2 to 3 foot tube attached and put the tube in his mouth and start to blow.
There is already a wash of sound going on in this modern opera, so at first it’s hard to associate his blowing with a specific sound, but then I hear it. I’m practically entranced and can’t look at anything but his cheeks, waiting to see when they’ll fill up with air again.
At some point, though, I guess I manage to tear myself away and close my eyes because to me the music is like a blanket that I want to feel but not see. Once it finishes and I open my eyes again, I realize that Koen had been playing harmonica and guitar as well.
That was cool.
-Alissa Mariello
[Photo: Illustration of Mountains at Tufts Oxfam Cafe on Wednesday, April 15 by Erik Mallinson]](http://27.media.tumblr.com/4sI5j4CwEmj2au8j9M1nUOEjo1_400.jpg)
Mountains and Mind Wheel at Tufts Oxfam Cafe: A Review
When Mind Wheel begins, some kind of music-induced serenity flows over the crowd of about 30 at Tufts Oxfam Cafe. Derek Kimball sits with his chin in his hand, facing an iMac and a blood-red keyboard he bought himself as a birthday gift. Meanwhile, Matt Brown and Artie Fischer sit cross-legged on the floor, Artie on the guitar, Matt with a sampler. The result flows over and around me like I’m a rock in a steady river. I feel relaxed and one with nature—I don’t know, maybe it’s the animals-in-nature scenes projected on the wall behind them. I close my eyes as Mind Wheel’s epic story plays in my mind’s eye. Everyone claps.
Then Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp walk onstage—really just a section of the cafe that’s been cleared of patron seating and replaced with tables and gear—and each sit behind two white MacBooks. I think about how truly clever it was for Apple to make its logo on the back of its laptops glow—perfect for ambient electronic music shows. I’m suddenly jolted out of my “oh this ‘ol laptop view” thoughts when I see Brendon pick up what looks to be a drum machine with a 2 to 3 foot tube attached and put the tube in his mouth and start to blow.
There is already a wash of sound going on in this modern opera, so at first it’s hard to associate his blowing with a specific sound, but then I hear it. I’m practically entranced and can’t look at anything but his cheeks, waiting to see when they’ll fill up with air again.
At some point, though, I guess I manage to tear myself away and close my eyes because to me the music is like a blanket that I want to feel but not see. Once it finishes and I open my eyes again, I realize that Koen had been playing harmonica and guitar as well.
That was cool.
-Alissa Mariello
[Photo: Illustration of Mountains at Tufts Oxfam Cafe on Wednesday, April 15 by Erik Mallinson]
