There is nothing more pleasing to the ears than a well-crafted, smooth crescendo from an elegant sound to an emotional, climactic roar. Something about it awakens the body, stirring it into motion.
Indie rock band Aloha isn't a band that just launches into heavy rock or remains quiet, but moves between the two in a constantly pleasing way.
The band performed Wednesday night at Kitchen Distribution, attracting a crowd of petticoats, skirts, dress shoes, jackets and ties, as well as a mob of shaggy-haired students from UB. Fans huddled into the 30-by-30-foot venue with minimal decorations and one space heater hooked up to a propane tank in the back.
Aloha set up on the floor in front of the audience, hooking up two pianos, two guitars, drums, and a vibraphone. When they started, the audience quickly fell into the music, many mouthing the lyrics.
The notes echoed off the worn, bare, brick walls and every bass note reverberated from the hollow wood floor. One couldn't help but move to the beat.
At times, the sound became unintentionally incoherent from overwhelming feedback. The vocals were drowned out when the music picked up, but despite this, Aloha mostly kept a stabilized clarity.
The band came close to electronic precision using the vibraphone's abrupt notes, sharp piano chords and heavy, punctuated drums. Aloha's clarity was contrasted by their ability to build up complex explosions of echoing sound.
The band's members knew their instruments intimately. Drummer, Cale Parks, walked around the drum set while playing, as the vibraphonist/percussionist TJ Lipple took over the drums, allowing Parks to switch to piano.
In another song, Lipple held down the piano chord while vocalist/pianist/guitarist, Tony Cavallario was in the midst of playing, allowing the piano to switch to guitar and for Lipple to take over piano.
Jono Benoit, a freshman English major, said he was impressed.
"It was interesting to watch the members of Aloha switch from piano to drums to guitar while creating a symphony of sounds that engulfed the audience," Benoit said.
"They sound really great on their record, so I figured they'd be good live," said Alison Levine, a freshman psychology major. "They were really good."
The vocals and some song rhythms were reminiscent of other indie bands. Cavallario's vocals frequently run parallel to the vocals of Daniel Kessler of Interpol and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. Still, Aloha has some signature elements that set them apart.
Their ability to take certain sound genres like pop and post-rock and mesh them together is almost singular. One of their distinguishing instrumental elements is the foreign sound of the vibraphone, which resonates almost synthetically.
The concert demonstrated the many sides of Aloha. Although the members had little to say, their abilities to manage the instruments as well as switching instruments flawlessly, made up for everything that may have been missing.
The Kitchen Distribution show was the first performance of Aloha's current tour. Their new album, "Some Echoes," comes out April 11.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
