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MIKE WHITE • deadlydesigns.com
S ometimes the most danceable electronic music ends up
being a bore to watch onstage. Take Hot Chip, for exam
ple. DJs can spin "Over and Over" and the dance floor
is packed, but put Hot Chip on a stage and it's just five
dudes hiding behind laptops. Snooze. You can see the same
"show" at Hot Corner any night of the week.
While perhaps musically similar to Hot Chip, the electronic
dance collective that is Oh Fortuna shares more in common
with The Flaming Lips or Polyphonic Spree when it comes to
stage presence. This seven-piece ensemble fills the stage with
eclectic costumes, wide smiles and contagious enthusiasm.
"It's all about performance and humor," says synth control
ler Nick Lamberth. "If people aren't having a good time watch
ing you onstage, then they won't want to listen to your music,
and laughter is an easy way to connect with somebody at first,
before you try to tug at the heartstrings a little bit."
From matching Harry Potter glasses to tacky Christmas
sweaters, the band seems to get behind anything kooky that
adds to the spirit of the show.
"We usually just bounce stupid ideas off of each other [like
'Martin Luther Sting Day'] until one of them makes us laugh
hard enough that we have to do it. It's actually, probably, the
hardest part of being in the band—coming up with and making
costumes."
W hile the silliness may make you smile, it's the tunes that
keep you watching. Frontman JT Bringardner reaches
out to the crowd like a preacher, his golden Robert Plant locks
glowing under the lights as he sings the praises of love, family
and friends. Around him, a veritable orchestra of performers
plays an array of instruments from saxophone to banjo. The
one constant element tying each track together is a steady
electronic beat and the gentle swirl of synth. It's hard to tell
exactly what all that knob-twiddling and button pushing is all
about, but Lamberth isn't interested in divulging any secrets.
"We don't use electronics," he insists, "we use sorcery."
If magic is at work here, it's definitely not the dark kind.
It's more like a fairy landed in Gainesville, FL, waved her
magic wand, and Oh Fortuna manifested itself in a cloud of
glitter. These kids just seem so genuinely excited to be play
ing live, like every show is their collective birthday party, and
they just want to invite the audience to celebrate with them.
How do they stay so darn optimistic? "We all eat a bucket of
marshmallows and watch Charlotte’s Web every day to keep the
whole illusion up," Lamberth explains. It's hard to tell if he's
joking. "Oh Fortuna's origin story is a deeply guarded secret,"
Lamberth continues, "but I can say it involved wizards and the
best game of Balderdash ever played."
Of course, even Athens' own mega-band Dark Meat will tell
you that touring with this size band is a logistical nightmare.
Although the group is still young, Oh Fortuna has already come
to grips with this struggle and, not surprisingly, has been able
to see the lighter side of the situation.
"Seven of us all usually tour, so transportation is a mess,"
Lamberth admits, "but it's always a fun trip. It's kind of like
an arty, dysfunctional family road-trip comedy—Little Miss
Sunshine starring The Goonies, if you will."
In the past year. Oh Fortuna has just begun stepping out on
the road and testing the waters. So far, the reception has been
very warm. The band was pleased especially by the response in
Athens, and was equally impressed by our local talent.
"We all have a band-crush on Ice Cream Socialists,"
Lamberth says. "The set they played with us was one of the
best I've seen at a local concert."
In the midst of touring. Oh Fortuna has been busy recording
material for its debut release. The first singles are posted on
MySpace now, and will hopefully be released sometime later in
March or April on an EP tentatively titled Oh Fortuna's Bad as I
Want to Be, by Oh Fortuna. In the meantime, the band can con
firm the release of a split 7" with fellow Gainesville band Oh
Sanders coming out in April. Oh Fortuna also plans on follow
ing the recent trend in music sales: giving it all away for free.
’l^W\#e did make the decision that until we profession-
W ally record, all of our songs will be up for free to
download because we don't want to be lame about distributing
music that we love to make. That is, until we sign to a label
and sell out. Then it's 25 bucks a CD. Count on it."
Despite tales of wizards and marshmallow consumption,
this is actually the one line from Lamberth that really seems
unbelievable. An ensemble so set on having fun and making
others feel good doesn't seem like the type to be easily swayed
by dollar signs. In fact, having commercial appeal or success is
hardly the group's priority.
Lamberth explains that in the process of writing and record
ing material, the band "eventually settled on a kind of mission
statement for writing the music: every song should be either
physically or emotionally moving. If someone's not feeling
something or dancing, then we've failed as a band. Bonus
points if they feel it and dance."
Michelle Gilzenrat
f
WHO: Oh Fortuna, Gemini Cricket
WHERE: Flicker Theatre & Bar
WHEN: Friday, March 14
HOW MUCH: $5
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285 W Woshmgton St Athonj GA • Coll 706-549 7871 for Show Updates
CHEAP DRINK SPECIALS EVERY NIGHT BEFORE 11PM* 18 ♦ UP
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MONDAY. MARCH 17
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