After a highly anticipated Halloween weekend, there was absolutely no question as to where the party was in Indianapolis; the 5th Annual Twin Cats Halloween show at the Mousetrap Bar and Grill.

The Mousetrap has been throwing down with the Twin Cats for years, yet these Indy fans still remain in complete shock as to how much better the band has gotten. There has been a lot of buzz about the Twin Cats recently, especially after their killer performance at Head Jamz Music Festival and their late-late night performance at Wuhnurth that kicked off around 3 AM. Every new Twin Cats show ends up becoming the new crowd favorite…but Halloween absolutely KILLED it!

The Twin Cats live at the Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis

The time change was definitely apparent even to the heaviest party-goers in Indianapolis and after about 5 straight hours of some serious face-melting funk, the Twin Cats had no problem closing down the Trap until the last ones standing were the funky corn-fed Indy crew kids.

The only thing I could keep thinking to myself was: “I can’t believe this show is FREE!”

MEEEEOOOOOWWW

The Twin Cats have been playing together for over a decade now and to the fans that have been raging from the beginning, there is no question that the time for the Twin Cats is NOW! There is absolutely no other band that can represent Indianapolis like the Twin Cats can and they’re fans are extremely excited about the success they expect to yield from the band’s new album “Thick” in the very near future.

Lead singer/guitarist and twin brother Seth Catron’s voice has gotten detectably so much better and apparently all of those late nights he’s spent watching YouTube videos of people shredding on guitar has really paid off! Seth stood front left as Wayne from Wayne’s World while his twin brother Adam rocked out as Garth on the drums. Rob Dixon held a guest spot for the entire show right next to Twin Cat’s saxophone player Nick Gerlach (dressed as a penguin) making it obvious to everyone how much better Nick plays when standing next to one of the greatest saxophone players around.

Rob Dixon is no stranger to the Twin Cats and has appeared on stage with the band on many occasions. Rob also helped produce this year’s 2009 Indy Jazz Fest which featured artists like Cynthia Lane, Marcus Miller, Soulive and the Twin Cats. Perhaps the softest spoken member of the group is keyboardist Phil Geyer who has really stepped it up on his new and improved Korg Radias synthesizer. Phil was appropriately dressed as a Mad Scientist and kept the crowd in a trippy trance alongside creepily dressed Jabberwocky Cameron Reel who proved that in all situations…turn up the bass!

All of the computer enhanced/influenced music that is blowing up on the music scene today can be easily outdone by insane Twin Cats instrumentals. Anytime anyone tried to sit down and take a short break, the Cats would lure them back to the stage by filling the air with some crazy off-the-chain hooks, forcing you to feel the funk in your soul! Throw Herm Productions into the mix with a bad-ass light show…and ladies and gentlemen, it’s a wrap!

Nap Town Represent!

Honestly, I go to a lot of shows all over the Midwest, and I can’t help but to say that NOBODY brings it like the Twin Cats. The talent and passion of this band runs deep, not to mention the loyalty and enthusiasm from their fans seem to be pushing the Twin Cats in the right direction. As much as we all LOVE seeing the Cats blow up Indianapolis, we know that it won’t be long until this band blows up all over the Midwest. These guys have a completely unique and independent sound, excellent stage presence, and can transcend cultures and generations and simply rage all night long! Get ready Nap Town. The Twin Cats are about to put us on the MAP!

Check out the Twin Cats on Facebook!

Enter the Master

Tiësto is just one of those artists who has truly mastered his craft. When you think of guitar, you think Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townsend. When you think of Trance, you should be thinking Tiësto. For being a world-wide phenomenon, you may find it surprising that I didn’t hear about Tiësto until only a month ago. Despite my inexperience with house music, Tiësto’s music and YouTube videos seemed pretty legit, so I decided to check out what all the hype was about.

The Best $80 Dollars I’ve Ever Spent

The Knollfest crew was fortunate enough to attend his rave at Chicago’s Congress Theater this past Halloween night. The show was sold out to a crowd of neon lit, costumed hipsters ready to get their freak on…none were disappointed. When Tiësto finally came on stage around 11:15, the entire theater erupted into chants of “Tiësto, Tiësto, Tiësto!” A particle movie screen behind the stage suddenly burst with images of orbiting planets and other spacey imagery until somehow coming together to form the face of the legendary DJ: who suddenly appeared at his turntables from out of thin air. This is when shit really got crazy.

Let’s Just Say, it’s Called Trance Music for a Reason

Beginning with tracks from his latest album, Kaleidoscope, the energy was unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced. Immediately, the entire crowd entered into a funky disco-utopian trance while the particle screen portrayed the most unique and trippy imagery I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Tiësto possessed his audience with some kind of spectral, otherworldly power, causing us to rage uncontrollably as we looked unto our DJ god: worshiping him and humbling ourselves in his presence…we were not worthy.

Yet, all good things must come to an end. Tiësto made damn well sure that the end would come on his own terms. Thanks to the amazing-ness that is daylight savings time, Tiësto kept us bumping, thumping, and humping until 4 AM in the morning: which is 3 AM now that the clocks have been changed. By the time of the party’s miraculous commencement, we the audience were left in a daze asking ourselves, “What the !@#% just happened?” I don’t know if I will ever truly understand what happened. All I can say is, it felt like sex. The best kind of sex.

You think I’m joking? Check out this video; this how Tiësto parties.

Tiësto – Power Mix

Pretty Lights @ Forecastle Music Festival 2009

The After Party

We had the pleasure of partying with Pretty Lights once again after their show had ended and it truly is amazing that these guys are performing almost every single night and not skipping one beat! One of my favorite characteristics about this band is their desire to interact with their fans after the show, whether it is on their tour bus, at the official after party sites or even showing up at random house parties for the after-after party! These guys are always down to clown and are definitely taking full advantage of their experience touring across the States.

It’s a Small World

There was one particular incident that took place after the show that was really encouraging to both the band and to me. We had missed our first cab after the show that was going to take us to the official after party for Pretty Lights. When the next cab pulled up we all got in and started heading to the show. The cab driver was a middle-aged lady who had her 20 year old son riding alongside her in the front seat. Her name was London (Miss London) and she immediately starting asking questions about the night’s show. After asking where the band was from, Cory responded with “Ft. Collins Colorado” and Miss London quickly replied “Well then, you must know my nephew.” Of course, none of us really believed that this could be possible, but Cory went ahead and accepted the challenge by answering “Who?” To our surprise, Miss London informed us that her nephew’s name was Brandon…who indeed used to be in the group “Listen” with Cory and Derek way back in the day. Cory absolutely could not believe what he was hearing so Miss London went ahead and pulled out a picture of her nephew Brandon and sure enough…it was him!

You hear it all the time, but it truly is a small world. I say that this experience was encouraging to me because when good people begin to meet other good people both directly and indirectly, we just continue to connect and spread good vibes wherever we go. Out of all of the cabs in Louisville, Miss London was sent to take care of all of us that night. It was truly meant to be and you couldn’t help but feel that you were exactly where you were supposed to be in that particular moment of time. Again, very encouraging!

Family

The after party was a blast as the group “Bitch Please” continued to keep the crowd dancing until 4am. As soon as the show was over, Miss London was already at the door waiting for us and making sure that we were all going to get where we needed to go safely.

A HUGE thank you to Miss London, Cory, Derek, Mikey (Thunder), and everyone else who showed Knollfest a wonderful time during their stay here in the Midwest. I hope it’s not too long before we can bring these guys to Indy and show them the same hospitality that they have shown us. Pretty Lights…you are now officially apart of the Knollfest/Indianapolis family!

For those of you who don’t know who Chromeo is, that’s okay. I wasn’t up on them either until a few months ago. To sum it up for you: their musical forte is unabashedly cheesy retro 80’s music.

Wait, let me finish.

This is how music should have sounded in the 80’s – don’t get me wrong, I love 80’s music and it’s ultimate determination. It made you feel a certain great without regret. It makes you stand up to sing loudly and dance. Moreover, it makes you happy. Chromeo (which I compare very closely to LMFAO) makes you laugh, makes you dance, and brings you back to a place that is ultimately familiar and keeps you there.

Taking you back to the future

Very few artists can take you back to a place you know very well, yet spin it and give you something entirely funky and fresh. What is immediately apparent with Chromeo is they are enamored by 80’s era music, and that’s perfectly fine. They graciously welcome all who dare listen to them to return to the time where glorified figures such as Michael Jackson, The Police, Paula Abdul, and Prince reigned king and queens of a golden (or really, really bright yellow) era of synthpop music. Every song is a one-hit wonder. Every auto-tune-enhanced chorus flows through your veins and begins pumping music through your heart and out of your mouth as you find yourself singing along; unabashedly.

So, without further ado, I introduce you to the mind-blowing cheesy power that is Chromeo.

Chromeo – Night by Night Video

Get tickets for their show at Congress Theater this Friday in Chicago, Illinois!

Boys Noize and Crystal Castles will also be playing there that night.

This weekend was a great weekend for music in the Midwest! It all kicked off on Saturday at the Mousetrap when the Knollfest crew went to see one of our very own bands; The Ragbirds. The show was an incredibly funky musical blend filled with guitar melodies, drum beats, and beautiful lyrics sung by the band’s lead singer and violinist (among other interesting instruments), Erin Zindle.

The Ragbirds’ Upcoming Shows:

• October 30th 2009 – Casa Cantina
• October 31^st, 2009 – Royal Oak Music Theatre
• November 5^th, 2009 – Two Stick Sushi

The Ragbirds – Live @ The Green Room Festival 2009

On Sunday, the crew traveled just a few miles south of Indianapolis to Bloomington, Indiana, to see one of our personal favorites; Pretty Lights! As always, they brought the noise. Derek Smith (DJ), and Cory Eberhard (Live Drummer) lit up the crowd with a few fan favorites such as Hot Like Sauce, as well as a new undoubtedly smash hit version of Jay-Z’s single, Death of Auto-Tune.

The lights could have been prettier as The Bluebird could not handle their massive energy-sucking LED light show, but that didn’t matter. The dance floor was still jam-packed as fans began hopping on stage halfway through the show because just like us, they just could not get enough Pretty Lights! The crew enjoyed the company of Derek and Cory after the show (Thanks, guys!) on their tour bus.

These guys really are true professionals and energetic music heads who love to share their love for music with everyone. We highly suggest everyone in the area check them out next time they are in town; although this won’t be for awhile, as their tour is traveling across the United States to places like New York, Boston, Texas, and Florida.

If you’re in the area tonight, you can check them out in Louisville, Kentucky playing at the Headliners Music Hall. Click here to get your ticket for tonight’s show!

Pretty Lights – Live @ Red Rocks 2009

Visit the Wuhnurth Website.