Secret Machines @ Metro (2/4/2005)

Secret Machines: Tripping the Light Fantastic At Metro

The Secret Machines are becoming very good friends with Chicago, and returning to Metro for a sold-out show was a clear indication that the trio from Dallas are welcomed in the Second City anytime.

By no means are the Secret Machines strangers to Chicago. Working with producer Brian Deck (Red Red Meat, Califone), the band recorded their EP September 000 (2002) before their creative efforts finally reached fruition with last year's debut album Now Here Is Nowhere. Josh Garza and brothers Brandon and Benjamin Curtis are riding a wave of momentum right now, fusing influences like the Flaming Lips and Led Zeppelin to paint a soundscape rich with color.

Their stage set-up may throw off first timers to their show, but it says a lot about how these three musicians function as a band. Rather than facing the audience Garza's drum kit and Brandon Curtis' keyboards are turned to face each other, with guitarist Benjamin Curtis positioned in the middle. This stage dynamic allows for maximum eye contact with each member, which, on stage, plays a major factor in the band's ability to communicate without even saying a word; that magical sixth sense that some bands fail to nuture over time.

Opening with the thunderous "Sad And Lonely," the band wasted no time in making their presence felt, and with the Secret Machines, the audience not only hears the music but feels it like a mighty gust of wind to their face. Benjamin Curtis uses his guitar effects rig wisely, opening an array of sounds that serve the songs rather than drowning them out. One example of his sense of control was the hypnotic phasing of chords he orchestrated during "The Road Leads Where It's Led," that acted very much as a rhythmic tool in the same sense as the drums did. But there are not enough tricks that could match or even duplicate the bone crunching stampede of drummer Josh Garza. With a great balance between chaos and discipline, Garza is a force. His very straight-forward drum kit is highlighted with a mammoth bass drum that the late John Bonham would give his stomp of approval. Song after song, Garza never let up as his clothes became covered in wood dust from his drum sticks furiously hitting their marks. If presented with the task, Garza could possibly turn coal into diamonds. Brandon Curtis rounds out everything as the voice of the band. Throughtout the night he dazzled with vocals that were melodic, manic, and tender, especially on the melancholy "You Are Chains."

The intensity that flowed through "Nowhere Again," the evening's curtain call, found the trio leaving it all out on the stage, never wavering once. It was a flawless performance by a band not ever appearing to be going through the motions. Each note was daring as it was exciting. The Secret Machines have surpassed the hype but more importantly have gained respect.