Follow the Kites Bring Synths and Swirls, Last Night at Nectar

Singing drummer, y'all. Loved the stripey drumkit.

Follow the Kites
Nectar
Tuesday, May 17

Is there anything sadder than a rock show with nobody there? Nectar seemed frighteningly empty as Tacoma band Follow the Kites played their first song of new wave-ish, spacey rock. Twelve people in an audience is enough to make any band dejected, but Follow the Kites seemed oblivious, if somewhat less than gregarious (drummer/singer Peter Tietjen's only comment: "This song is about Spanaway").

With an interesting mix of instrumentation--singing drummer Tietjen, bass, and synths--and a deliciously candy-striped drum kit, Follow the Kites definitely has something different going on than the folk-dominated Seattle sound. It's a little '80s, with Tietjen's vocals muffled behind reverb, and a little proggy (peep the psychedelic spiral on bassist Steve Tippon's amp). You can even hear some kraut-rock influences in the driving rhythms and uncluttered song structure.

It's hard to judge a band's live show when there's almost no audience to interact with. Obviously, it's a totally different experience to see a band in a near-empty venue than in a packed basement. And Follow the Kites is a very new band--their bio notes say they played their first show this January. They definitely have some good songs, and on the dancier numbers there's an almost Starfucker-esque vibe. Head on over to their MySpace (while it still exists) and listen to "Plant Life," then catch Follow the Kites at their next weekend show.

Fun facts: When you try to go to "followthekites.com," Google redirects you to "followtheknights.com."

Band bio: "Rock, different kinds of rock, rocking and not too rocking at other times. But always with a bit of rock in there somewhere."