“We are all atomic particles, mixing together, in one big omelet,” says Engineering Junior Surar Al-Gayani about the process of collaborating artistically with his band members in Atomic Omelet.
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti-based band Atomic Omelet has one of the best names in the Washtenaw County music scene. While the image of an atomic breakfast first caught my attention, this band has proved to be much more than a product of creative marketing strategies. With an eclectic mix of ska, punk and funk in their repertoire and an incomparable stage presence, Atomic Omelet is a band you’ll want to see live at least once in your lifetime.
Thankfully, this coming Saturday you will have the chance. Atomic Omelet will be performing alongside music acts such as “Isaich,” “Any Island” and “Industrial Sunglasses” at the Art of Armageddon Beach Party in Detroit, Michigan.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the band and talk about their upcoming show. It was a particularly sunny Sunday morning, and each of the band’s members were joyfully laughing with one another over donuts that had been purchased from the bakery just an hour before. I had expected a more rambunctious crew of people, perhaps because their E.P. “Live at the Blind Pig” is filled with such electrically upbeat party rock. The band members’ calm personalities did not reflect the sound of their songs.
“I’ve learned that it’s cool to have meaning. But I’m not a good enough poet to have a good enough meaning to all of our songs,” says Atomic Omelet’s lyricist, guitar and vox player Sean Bass. At the Armageddon Beach Party this Saturday, audiences can expect a wide range of songs from Atomic Omelet. Some with meaning, others simply easy to dance to.
“If you’re a dancing person, we have friendly but rowdy mosh pits at our concerts,” says Atomic Omelet’s drummer Stephen Valley, a 3rd-year graduate student in the College of Pharmacy. “There’s a good chance people will be jumping around on Saturday night, so if you come, be ready to have a good time.”
The venue, Armageddon Beachparty, is an Art Duo & Creative Umbrella conceptualized by Motu & Komza, a married, Detroit-native artist pair who work collaboratively by merging their strong collection of artistic abilities. The duo have created over four hundred works of art together. The venue is surrounded in psychedelic art. The pieces at the venue remind me of ones you would find in the popular art collective “Meow Wolf.” “Meow Wolf” is an immersive art installation in New Mexico that was founded by a collective of artists. It is known for its unique and interesting interactive art.
In addition to being excited about the venue, the band members couldn’t stop raving about the other musicians that will be playing alongside them.
“We’re playing the show with a bunch of our best friends. I’m excited because Connor booked a rapper, “Isaich.” We don’t get to play with a lot of rappers. It’s going to be a really fun show,” Valley said.
Atomic Omelet is known for their vibrant stage presence during their sets. “You always have to hold the fifth member of the band in mind, which is the audience. They feel what we are feeling,” Al-Gayani added. Saturday evening’s set will be a collection of both original songs and covers. When discussing performing with the band members, their faces lit up.
“If Armageddon was going down, why not have a beach party? Especially in the times we live in now,” Atomic Omelet’s guitarist, Surar Al-Gayani said.
Atomic Omelet will be hitting the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday night, so start your evening off right by arriving to the venue early. If you want to spend a few hours immersed in equally exhilarating art and music be sure to make your way over to Detroit on Saturday night.