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Features - Live Review
 Irepress The Middle East (Upstairs): Cambridge, MA: USA [16 May 2008] Live Review by Sean Butze | May 22nd, 2008
The first time I ever saw Boston’s Irepress perform was a little over two years ago when they opened for ISIS at The Middle East club. I do not exaggerate when I say that it was a life-changing experience, and I have been a die-hard fan ever since. Something about the band’s unclassifiable sound, their supremely intense energy and upbeat attitude have always kept me coming back to see their live sets. Two years and many performances later, I got yet another chance to witness this extraordinary experimental rock group at the very same venue—an experience which proved to be no less incredible than my first.
Prior to the show, drummer Sheel Davé told me that the band would be performing most of the tracks off their upcoming new album. While some of the new songs had been played at previous performances, this show was one of the first times the band would really show off the majority of the new album in its final state. Needless to say, I was stoked.
After what appeared to be some minor technical difficulties, Irepress took the stage just after a quite epic performance by Minnesota’s BATTLEFIELDS, and the show started strong. New song after new song was dished out to the crowd, while only a few minutes were devoted to playing “FridOhm” off of 2005/7’s Samus Octology. While I missed hearing some of the old songs, my grievances were completely forgotten once I wrapped my head around the new material. The riffs were heavier, the beats surprisingly dance-ier, and some of the audience even took part in belting out the sparse yet bold gang-vocals in the new songs, while others clapped their hands wildly to the pounding rhythms. Rarely do you see a show at local rock clubs where the crowd is so much a part of the performance. The effect was surreal.
Though it’s said you can’t improve upon perfection, Irepress somehow managed to do just that when they played their final song of the night, another new track featuring vocals by none other than The Eclectic Collective’s soul queen Noni Kai. Despite the band’s well-known reputation for mixing various styles into their sound, I was still shocked by this guest appearance. Fortunately the song was a smash hit, and I was so caught up in the magic of their stylistic fusion that I can scarcely recall the sounds I heard. All I remember is feeling ashamed for even briefly doubting the creative force that is Irepress.
“They’re seriously the only band that could ever pull something like that off,” remarked concert-goer and Irepress-enthusiast Jim Pearse after the band left the stage.
Indeed, it was a night to remember for sure, and perhaps one of the band’s greatest performances to date. Call me an over-zealous Irepress fan-boy if you want, but I challenge you to go to one of their shows and not be blown away.
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Catch Irepress on tour this summer: visit the band’s MySpace page for full concert listings. The band’s new album is almost completed and is expected to be released on Translation Loss Records sometime later this year.
Photo by Eric Smith
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