seriously
i know i've said things like this before, but for the love of god if you get a chance, go see Slavic Soul Party and/or Extra Action Marching Band. and bring earplugs.
http://sonicliving.com/wl/75735/slavic_soul_party
http://www.slavicsoulparty.com/main.html (caution - flash and sound)
http://www.extra-action.com/
i would say that Slavic Soul Party is tighter musically, but Extra Action is more.. interactive. listening to SSP, i had the sense that we were all sheltering in this tiny venue from a biting, blustery siberian winter outside. they made me want to do shots of vodka. they consist of an accordion, several trumpets and trombones, a tuba, snare and bass drummers, and an absolutely phenomenal female vocalist for most songs. the music is very gypsy like, almost middle-eastern. very infectious.
extra action are amazing. there have got to be about 30 of them - a whole drum line, brass section, even scantily (VERY scantily) clad flag waving type people (what is that called? drill team or something? it has been a long time since high school.) they don't stay on stage but oom pa pa their way all through the crowd. be careful you don't get clocked in the head by a sousaphone, seriously. their drummers are amazing and really get the crowd dancing - yes, a crowd of SF hipsters dancing deliriously to a fucking marching band. amazing. at one point the middle of the floor erupted into a near-orgy - two of the drill team members were writhing their scantily clad little bodies around on the floor and naturally it became a pile-up. oops, i fell over! oh no, i fell over again! i stayed out of arm's reach for that one, but it was certainly amusing. honestly aside from the drums, their sound often almost reminds me of, well.. an unrehearsed marching band. but when they really get going, with those drums and tubas and an awesome dancey beat well, it's irresistible.
(also loud. did i mention earplugs?)
http://sonicliving.com/wl/75735/slavic_soul_party
http://www.slavicsoulparty.com/main.html (caution - flash and sound)
http://www.extra-action.com/
i would say that Slavic Soul Party is tighter musically, but Extra Action is more.. interactive. listening to SSP, i had the sense that we were all sheltering in this tiny venue from a biting, blustery siberian winter outside. they made me want to do shots of vodka. they consist of an accordion, several trumpets and trombones, a tuba, snare and bass drummers, and an absolutely phenomenal female vocalist for most songs. the music is very gypsy like, almost middle-eastern. very infectious.
extra action are amazing. there have got to be about 30 of them - a whole drum line, brass section, even scantily (VERY scantily) clad flag waving type people (what is that called? drill team or something? it has been a long time since high school.) they don't stay on stage but oom pa pa their way all through the crowd. be careful you don't get clocked in the head by a sousaphone, seriously. their drummers are amazing and really get the crowd dancing - yes, a crowd of SF hipsters dancing deliriously to a fucking marching band. amazing. at one point the middle of the floor erupted into a near-orgy - two of the drill team members were writhing their scantily clad little bodies around on the floor and naturally it became a pile-up. oops, i fell over! oh no, i fell over again! i stayed out of arm's reach for that one, but it was certainly amusing. honestly aside from the drums, their sound often almost reminds me of, well.. an unrehearsed marching band. but when they really get going, with those drums and tubas and an awesome dancey beat well, it's irresistible.
(also loud. did i mention earplugs?)