In support of their recent release, Grass Geysers… Carbon Clouds, noise-pop rockers Enon presented the packed main room of NYC’s Knitting Factory on Saturday (Nov. 17) with a smart, speedy onslaught of maddening sound. Led by John Schmersal (guitarist/vocals), the Brooklyn-bred threesome performed in front of an all-ages audience — many of which still seemed to be in their freshman year of college judging from the numbers sucking face and taking MySpace-style self-portraits throughout the show. Luckily, this behavior was evenly balanced by excited headbobbers and moving bodies enjoying bassist/vocalist Toko Yasuda’s saccharine shouts over messy guitars throughout new songs like “Mirror On You” and “Ashish” as well as a couple of favorites from the much-revered 2002 LP, High Society.
Warming the room for the evening, local indie rockers Apache Beat built up tension with a short set of psychedelia surrounded by tribal beats. Frontwoman Ilirjana Alushaj shimmied in odd contrast to the beat of a bongo as her band stood still in trance-like wonder. By the time the Aussie trio Love of Diagrams took the stage, concertgoers were gearing up to dance themselves. From the start of the male/female seesawing chorus on post-punk chant “The Pace of the Patience,” a pit of pogo-ers had already formed at the front of the stage. After much swaying and pit-pouncing, all collegians were left to return to their dorms looking much satisfied, more experienced, and with digital photos to prove it. MARY-LOUISE PRICE / PHOTOS BY JACKIE ROMAN
We asked: John Schmersal, guitarist/vocalist of Enon, has been quoted as saying, “The ellipsis is the most important part of the title [of their recent release Grass Geysers…Carbon Clouds] That’s where the shit goes down.” What do you think Schmersal is referring to in that ellipsis?
