Mute Math Preview

Mute Math
Park West, Chicago
Thursday, October 5, 2006

Did you happen to catch Mute Math at Lollapalooza back in August? If not, let us be the ones to inform ya: You missed out.

Their name might not have drawn much of your attention when hidden in a schedule with 129 other acts, many of which were heavy hitters, but the New Orleans-based band put on a hell of a show at the AMD stage on Day One. Vocalist Paul Meany crowd surfed while leading fans through a sing-along; cymbals were tossed into the air and allowed to crash onstage; a keytar was used generously; and the four members often played musical chairs, swapping instruments as often as they played their own. Of course all the energy and stage presence in the world don’t mean squat if you don’t have the tunes to match. Mute Math have a pretty good arsenal of material stocked up on their self-titled debut (Teleprompt/Warner Bros.). At their core, the group are a pop band who love huge, sweeping, bold choruses, but their experimental side doesn’t allow them to be classified so easily. They love to bend, twist, and tweak sound and samples, especially with the various homemade and vintage instruments the band often use.

Shiny Toy Guns and Jonezetta open.

– Trevor Fisher

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly