CMJ Day 1 feedback/concert review

What up folks, I'm currently waking up in the Brooklyn place I'm staying at. I'm going to head out to the "Gearhead's Unite: An overview of the hottest new musical gadgets" panel starting at 12 over at the Lincoln Center and staying around for the Engineer/Producer reltionship panel, and possibly moving to a guide on how to get your music in video games. And I'll report tomorrow about what concerts I see. But last night...ooh last night was great. I made it into the place I'm staying and sat around for a while wondering if I had the energy to make it all the way back to manhattan to see a show that started at midnight. I was also worried that the L train wouldnt be able to get me back over to brooklyn after the show and I'd have to pay a million dollars for a taxi (or 20).

At 10:20 I was already on the move to joe's Pub(beware the 2 drink minimum..their cokes are 5 dollars!!) to see Amiina (they're the string quartet that plays with sigur ros), and I managed to get in line for the show at 11:05. I have seen the band twice before, once at joe's pub and once opening for sigur ros and they have been fantastic. I managed to get a seat that was flanking the stage..I could reach out and touch the performer's equipment. The band is comprised of 4 childlike icelandic women, and they perform in what seems like the same dresses every night. One red, one blue, one green, and one blue with white flowers. Adorable. I sat right behind the one with the blue dress, Maria is what it said on her wireless headphone transmitter. It took them quite a while to set up, but the beginning ambience of a rumbling fireplace and crackling logs signalled their impending start. I'll just now list their setlist with notes I took, because it was a long set.

1. Litli Blar - odd ambience of mostly strings, kind of short
   
2. Blaskjar-off aminamina ep
   
3. Hemi(pode) -off aminamina ep
   
4. Luppa- used a harmonium
   
5. Kolapot
6. Glamur- played wine glasses for ambience, and did odd things like bowing the edges of glockenspiel chimes
   
7. Hilli- they forgot their mandolin for this one, had to run and get it. Messed up a lot on and seemed to give up in the end, but the mandolin melody was great
   
8. Shakka- off aminamina ep
   
9. djambo- i think this was a 'jam' to lead into ugla
   
10. Ugla- featured electric guitar, and a cute synth line from a toy piano. Had a very heavy bassy driving rhythm
    
11. djamm - another jam before fjarskanistan
    
12. Fjarskanistan- also off the aminamina ep, but one of my favorite songs by them, very long drawn out melody, but very beautiful
    
13. Seoul- title track on their upcoming ep, features a bowed saw for melody, and a rocking toy bell section
14. MAMB!-Had a cool synth line, and they laid down an odd synth line with the cello that was going through some sort of effect. The whole song seemed to be building for something.The song ended with a sudden, but well orchestrated stop, and the show was over.
    

At the end the audience clapped for a solid 2 minutes and the members came out and bowed and clapped for us twice, it was very cute. I know the setlist because well..after the amazing end of the show, I managed to nab it from the stage. Lucky me, 2 of them were selling merch by the entrance, and I got their autographs and thanked them for playing. I am very glad I decided to make the trip out, I would have regretted it if i hadn't gone. Alright time to be off to the panels..check in tomorrow!