Review: Dream Machines
This past Wednesday, I ended my night at the Hi Hat and the show was so good that I still feel the need to write about it a few days later. With a hint of disco, a touch of Prince and 80s power ballad rock, the Dream Machines had the whole crowd dancing.
With super smooth synth tones over a bari sax that snuck out through the fog machine and colored lights, the intro to the very theatrical set reminded me of the 80s. Although, perhaps the 80s vibe was simply because of Harry May Kline’s wife beater tucked into light denim jeans and bleach blonde hair, but I digress.
Dream Machines is a band of five super talented musicians. There were three saxes on stage and Matt Brown didn’t let them go to waste. He played them so well and with such care that it seamlessly blended with the synth. Luke Burba, on the synthesizer, played a great drum patch that when paired with Travis Burn’s real kit, created a very full and warm sound. Throughout the set, I was continually impressed with Travis’s playing. He balanced out the songs and played dynamically while remaining technically very solid. Molly WK’s backup vocals complimented Harry’s extremely well. She also played the tambourine and cowbell, adding fun, theatrical bits to each song. For the record, Molly’s arm did not jiggle while slapping the tambourine against her hip and now I have a new fitness goal!
The first two songs built up the crowd and grabbed the attention of the entire venue. No one was playing pool (if you are familiar with the Hi Hat’s layout) and all focus was given directly to the band. ‘Fall From Grace’, off the band’s EP, was quite ballady and smooth. It was perfectly placed as the third song in the set, letting the rhythm of the night ebb and flow. By ‘Keep The Lie’, a new track written just weeks ago, the entire crowd was moving. It was a really enrapturing set that ended in an encore chant. Absolutely a good time.
Check out Dream Machines on SoundCloud, Spotify and Bandcamp!
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/users/98269001″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Ps: Dream Machines will soon release a new single and a kick ass music video directed by Liz Nistoco of HOLYCHILD. Keep an eye and an ear out for its debut!
