Indies to Watch: Pattern Is Movement

Last night’s Mystery Concert at at New York University’s Skirball Theater had students in awe and confusion over the night’s opening act. Pattern is Movement, hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania set the precedent for later act, the French Kicks and headliner, Broken Social Scene. So did they set the bar sky-high or embarrassingly low? Well, it depends on one’s taste in music as a whole.

The general description of Pattern is Movement as an American Indie rock band does not do this two-piece musical concoction justice. Exuding elements of Gregorian chant, early 90’s hip-hop, musical theater show tunes, funk and R&B drum beats, the set performed by band members Andrew Thiboldeaux (vocals, bass and mellotron) and Chris Ward (drums), was not for the closed minded. One shouldn’t dare trying to summarize the band’s style, because in actuality, they don’t even know.

Performing several numbers off of their 2008 album “All Together,” the band’s 50 minute set was like watching two grungy grizzly bears fight their way through music history. With anecdotes sporadically placed, audience vocal participation and the band’s liberty to perform shoe-less and talk about man boobs, the show was personal and intriguing for all audience members. 

But to answer the question of whether they killed it or spilled it, there is no definite answer. Some people walked out. Some people gave standing ovations. Some people sat with blank stares. Others danced. And there are those people, like myself, who woke up singing the chorus to “Right Away,” trying desperately to get it out of my head.