By Corey Oldenhuis | Seeds Entertainment
There is a difference between enjoying a show, and being absolutely enthralled by a show. There is a difference between performing an act, and being born to perform the act. There is a difference between making music, and making it come alive with palpable passion. Essentially, there’s a Beats Antique concert, and then there’s pretty much everything else.
It is only fitting that “Beats,” as they are simply called by die-hards, rocked Lincoln’s Bourbon theatre on Leif Erikson Day (October 9th), for what they presented wasn’t a concert so much as it was a truly epic voyage–an exhilarating, mind-expanding voyage through new dimensions, wherein every one of the human senses was cleverly seduced by the collaborative efforts of genuine artists.
The genre-transcending Beats Antique was formed in 2007 and is composed of Californians David Satori (impressive multi-instrumentalist; DJ), “Sidecar Tommy” Cappel (beat-busting drummer; rhythmic backbone), and Zoe Jakes (arranger, composer, face of Beats Antique). Together, they pump out a potent elixir of world fusion sounds (concentrated heavily on Middle Eastern, Indian, and Asian influences), hip-hop, dub, afro-beat, and ambient electronic, with hints of jazz and other auxiliary genres that really elude definition.
After Morgan Sorne and Il-Esha energized the audience, Cappel and Satori took stage and introduced some unprecedentedly phat beats and driving electronic sound. Then, fan-favorite bellydancer Zoe glided smoothly onto center stage, adorned head-to-toe with exotic garb. From that point on, it was understood that Ordinary was euthanized, and Uniqueness had taken hold of the reigns–and what a hell of a ride it turned out to be.
With perfectly timed micro-movements, Jakes showcased just how married she was to the beat, and utilizing those other-worldly eyes, she playfully pierced the souls of lucky patrons. Her alluring beauty was only outshined by her incredible talent; Zoe’s body moved in such a way that made her seem more like a gently-flowing liquid than a solid being. In addition to doing some serious justice to an ancient art, Jakes spearheaded the group’s hallmark brand of theatrics.
Each song, aided by aesthetically arousing video projections and a laudable commitment to acting, told a wondrous tale.
Multiple times, Zoe would dance around stage in one particular outfit, then exit as the song concluded. Then, Satori and Cappel’s sheer skill and musical confluence would induce a near hypnotic state of audible ecstasy, making fans forget that Jakes had left the action. The next song starts, and bam! Jakes reenters, boasting an entirely new costume, ready to relay a new story.
These dramas, though not overtly related, seemed to flow in a holistic fashion, which neatly reflects the band’s edict of cultural interconnectedness.
Some of the notable scene progressions of the show were as follows: Satori’s giant inflatable “demoni cat” puppet that swallowed both Zoe and a volunteer after she lost a quirky game show called “Doors of Destiny”; Zoe wearing a skin-tight leather dress and a peculiar diadem, charming the whole Bourbon as a sexy Cobra Queen; a fantastic free-styled musical battle between Sidecar and Satori; and a finale with animal masks and bubbly jazz-hop that can only be likened to a mash-up of a Jay Gatsby party, a Tim Burton film, and the world of a doped-up Lewis Carroll.
Keep in mind that throughout the show, not only was Zoe effortlessly changing costume and character, but Satori too was alternating between an arsenal of instruments (which included a violin, a guitar, a trumpet, and a banjo) , while Cappel slaved away admirably at the kit.
There is a reason that this was Beats Antique’s second trip to Lincoln this year–and why they’ll probably come back for a third; the crowd was going completely nuts for them and for the Beats experience in general.
After what Satori called “the most epic encore chant ever,” the band finished a concert that pleasantly surprised virgin ears and exceeded expectations of Beats-seasoned ones. It is no coincidence that the band’s abbreviation is BA; the artistically ambitious trio’s act definitely deserves room on the bucket list of music buffs and theatre majors alike. In sum: go for the unparalleled music, stay for the spectacular show, and leave with your mind in pieces.
