GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY LIGHTS UP WEBSTER HALL

To paraphrase Eva Green’s Vesper Lynn from Casino Royale, “There are laser light shows and laser light show. This is the latter.” Throw in electro-funk beats, a whirling dervish of a front man, and a wizard cape clad beat maker and you have a taste of what a night with Ghostland Observatory is kind of like.

The Austin, Texas band hasn’t toured much of late, but stopped by Webster Hall last Thursday night, armed with their stripped down synth beats and a lighting set that rivals most arena sized acts. Guitarist/lead singer Aaron Behrens and producer/beat maker Thomas Turner pulled out a mix of their back catalog to make sure New York City got a hefty dose of glam-rock infused dance beats.

Ghostland Observatory

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Lasers continuously cut a swath throughout Webster Hall that night, as if almost in tune with Behrens wild strutting across the stage. His long flowing locks maybe gone but there is no mistaking his uninhibited stage presence. He slithers, he gyrates, he wails and caterwauls into the mic, and shreds on the guitar – and never seems to miss a beat. You can’t take your eyes off him. And if you blink you’re likely to find him on the total opposite side of the stage from where he as a second ago. His partner in mad melodies is Thomas Turner, who still has wears his shiny cap as he mashes buttons and keys from the back of stage to set up the duo’s pulse pounding beats.

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Ghostland Observatory

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You’re not going to get deep introspective lyrics at a Ghostland show – because, lets face it, you don’t need them. Ghostland’s music has a sparse quality to it. You might say, an almost simplistic sound. And that’s all right because it’s got one goal: to make the audience dance and fall in line with the beats. And judging by the sweat drenched audience once the lights came up, it was mission accomplished.