Prefuse performs glitch-hop at the Pig

Prefuse 73 performed a fusion of rock, electronica and hip hop last Tuesday at The Blind Pig. He is on tour with an eccentric, underground MC named Beans and the math-rock band Battles. Along with his personal band, Prefuse 73 — though not an MC or a vocalist — passionately played his brilliant “glitch-hop” compositions and left the crowd craving more of his avant-garde sounds.As the crowd stood waiting in the dimly lit main room of The Pig, an odd-looking man with a long beard walked up to the stage and began rhyming a cappella into the microphone. The man, who turned out to be Beans, impressed the crowd with his verbal gymnastics and animated persona as he performed tracks by his now-disbanded crew, Anti-Pop Consortium, and his solo endeavors. At times, the crowd responded well to Beans, but his peculiar brand of B-boying — which is similar to breakdancing — were met with awkward silences, simply because the audience did not know how to respond.With no vocalist or MC, Battles also had difficulties captivating The Pig’s audience, but they were ultimately no letdown to the crowd. Without being introduced, the band took the stage and started to jam. Since they didn’t stop between songs, it seemed as if they played one long, intricate piece made up of different movements. Their hard and heavy drums backed complex tones of edgy guitars and high-pitched digital sound effects. Battles’s unique sound engulfed The Pig with dissonant melodies that grabbed the ears of the audience. The techno rhythms moved people to dance, and the beatboxing caused heads to nod.Finally, featured act Prefuse 73 and his tour band arrived to the stage. Prefuse 73’s band slowly started to play, introducing one instrument at a time. The crowd gathered closer to the stage; some began hollering when they recognized the song about to be played. The music composed of synth horns and mechanical glitch sounds served as Prefuse 73’s signature. At many points throughout the show, drummer Marcus Evans unexpectedly took the spotlight away from the other musicians with his energy, sweat and raw talent. On pieces like “I’ve Said All I Need to Say About Them,” Prefuse 73 jumped on a second set of drums to accompany Evans and further recreate the kicking drums from his most recent, highly-acclaimed album, Surrounded By Silence. The heavy applause when he concluded their set prompted Evans and Prefuse 73 to hold a short improvisational session to close the show.Because the performers did not communicate enough verbally with the audience, the three acts seemed a little disconnected from one another, despite the fact that their musical styles are very similar. Nevertheless, seeing Prefuse 73 work his magic with a live band was a riveting, unique experience.