Concert Review: Sovus Radio

Going to a Sovus Radio show is like watching an interview with Brian Wilson. You watch it in part for the alluring genius and in part to find out when and how he’s going to self-destruct again. Either way, you can’t take your eyes off of it.

Atlanta band Sovus Radio stole the show from headliners and tour mates Manchester Orchestra at Tasty World on October 11, 2006 with their multi-layered vocal hooks, driving rhythms and demented, carnival-in-hell-sounding keyboards. Lead singer Ty Tomson constantly thrashed wildly by the edge of the stage, threatening to fall at any moment; Sovus Radio’s music was similar, always on the verge of plummeting into some kind of musical psychosis.

Sounding like Syd Barrett Pink Floyd meets the “White Album” Beatles, Sovus Radio changes tempos, rhythms and volumes within songs with a precision most bands can’t handle after 20 years, much less after the three years this band has been together. Often, it sounds like the band has moved on to another song, and while you’re enjoying the new sound they return to the original hook and you realize you’ve been through the different frequencies of Sovus Radio.

The crowd was indie girls in expensive, trendy haircuts and indie boys in expensive girls’ jeans. They were only about 40 strong but were increasingly captivated by the band. Each song got a better response than the last and by the end of the set the crowd appeared to be won over by the band. A particularly stimulated fan was a self-described “one-man mosh pit,” who cleared a 10-square-foot dance space directly in front of the stage by wild break dancing, sprinting in constant circles, and hitting his mouth on a large iron beam in the middle of the room. It was unclear after a brief interview whether he was moved purely by the band’s music or if other “motives” were involved.

As for the headliners of the show—The Manchester Orchestra—the world of rock has asked me to give them this message: “We like what you do and you guys seem sweet, but we already have a Modest Mouse. We’re very sorry, but we won’t be requiring your services at this time.”

And this is where Sovus Radio steps up to outshine their comrades. The sound is fresh, wild and energetic; the main hook is that you never know what’s coming around the next corner, or even where the next corner will be. It’s refreshing in this age when even bands trying to stay away from cookie-cutter pop songs still, like Manchester Orchestra, find themselves just lesser versions of the bands they imitate.

Sovus Radio brings the excitement of knowing that after the next note, everything could change dramatically. The lead singer could topple off the stage, the music could melt into oblivion, or maybe—just maybe—they’ll take you somewhere you’ve never been before.

—David Rogers