![]() Pre-empted by a hard-hitting, if not too short, set by Low Flying Owls, The Helio Sequence’s show was one of the best shows at Kilby Court in recent memory, to be sure. Summers’ vocals had a slight delay to them which was refreshing to hear coming from such a polished band. Now, stop me here because I’m about to go out on a limb-Benjamin Weikel is one of the coolest drummers of our time.įlat out, he’s one of the best drummers playing any sort of indie-disco music these days, and his talent deserves recognition.Īs the show went on, the crowd became more relaxed and entranced with Helio’s music. There are two reasons for this: The keyboards were saturated and very present, but also clear and audible, and Weikel’s stellar drumming. ![]() Live, the band’s trademark keyboard lines were sequenced from a laptop, which could be a turnoff for lesser duos because it might detract from the personality of the performance-most bands that rely heavily on a laptop sound like a dead metronome with no feeling. The majority of the band’s set list came from the latest album, though several songs came from the band’s sophomore album, Young Effectuals. The Helio Sequence brought the dance party to Salt Lake City with its foot-shuffling guitar riffs and head-bobbing keyboard beats. That’s cool and all, but what’s more important is the fact that Weikel and his skills are now pulling full-time duty for The Helio Sequence, giving the band its expansive and consistent sonic backbone. Weikel played drums for Modest Mouse on its latest record, and he did such a phenomenal job that his input is still sought by the band. In order to understand why The Helio Sequence is so mind-blowing live, it’s necessary to understand that Weikel (being the drum-genius that he is) used to keep the beat for another Sub Pop-affiliate band…called Modest Mouse. It married the Portland, OR duos signature layered keyboards and impossibly big guitars with crisp songwriting and a relatively minimalist approach. ![]() The Helio Sequence played Kilby Court last Thursday, showcasing the awesomeness that characterizes the band live. After three albums and ten years of touring and recording, The Helio Sequence (Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel) recorded their most dynamic, extraordinary album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead. See, on the band’s latest release, Love and Distance, The Helio Sequence sounds solid-lush, airy electronic soundscapes compliment Summers’ breathtaking vocal subtlety to create the overall pleasant feeling of warmth and security on the album.īut, while Helio’s album is good, its value pales in comparison to the power of the duo in person, in full force. After witnessing how adept and comfortable Summers and Weikel are as musicians, the surprise factor fades. Initially, it’s surprising to hear the sort of complete and fleshed-out sound The Helio Sequence is capable of producing. With a total of two members, guitarist/singer Brandon Summers and drumming wonder-prodigy Benjamin Weikel, Helio could be called a “small band.” But, that would be missing the point-sometimes it’s not about the size of the band, it’s about the motion of the music. The Helio Sequence, Sub Pop Record’s cerebral alt-pop duo, is proof that, sometimes, size doesn’t matter.
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