When a band has a name like Alaska!, it is somewhat of a given
that the show will be unconventional. The band lived up to this
perception when they came to the Gargoyle on Friday.

For starters, there was no opening band, which left no time for
people to just sort of wander in, as many seem to do with venues
such as the Gargoyle. Thus, the original start time of 9 p.m. was
pushed back a while, to let people show up; if the band went on at
the original time, there would have been a total of five rabid fans
ready for the show. Finally, 45 minutes later and 20 or so
additions to the crowd, Alaska! took to the stage.

Led by guitarist/vocalist Imaad Wasif, formerly of Lowecase, and
backed by bassist Russ Pollard of Sebadoh fame and drummer Lesley
Ishino, some on the far side of the far side of the indie rock
spectrum might call this a lo-fi, post-grunge supergroup. Pollard
and Wasif were even a part of Folk Implosion with Lou Barlow to
boot. The band started with a slow-burning number called “SS,”
which was accented by Wasif’s guitar solo out in the crowd.
Normally, this is quite impossible, as there are actually people
near the front of the stage. This time, however, the front of the
stage was open for whatever band shenanigans they felt like
doing.

The sound of the band is reminiscent of bands like Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club or the Raveonettes with their low-key delivery and
heavy use of distortion and remedial drumming. There is nothing
complicated about the band, which works to its advantage; because
there isn’t much clogging up the speakers, the melodiousness and
the simplicity of the songs come through. Songs such as “Fury of
Trees” exemplified this, as the distortion from Pollard’s bass
filled up the room, save just enough room for Wasif’s intricate
guitar riffs and vocals to seep through the speakers.

Just when the band seemed to retreat into the darkness of their
sound and the Gargoyle’s poor lighting, they jump out to end the
show with “Love (To Be Your Main).” Fast paced with a bouncing
bass-line, this was almost a pop song. It was at this point that
Alaska! showed their range: If they wanted, they could be indie-pop
pin-ups, able to write ditties about love and rolling in the grass.
At the same time, the band can pull off the dark, brooding
distortion monsters that hardly ever go faster than common time. It
is because of this potential to live a musical double life that
people should pay attention to this band. Maybe the next time this
band comes to town, there will be more than five people in the
audience when the band is supposed to go on stage.