Thursday, October 15, 2009

Ghostland Observatory rages.


With tight black pants to match his two long black braids, Aaron Behrens aggressively grabs the microphone on stage and yells out “Vibrate!”

The crowd obeys, entranced by his strong presence as he casually picks up his electric guitar to immerse himself in another song.

As lasers dominate the stage his musical partner, Thomas Turner, sings background vocals, plays the drums, and controls a synthesizer.

Ghostland Observatory combines techno beats with a harsh rock n’ roll dynamic that is hard to match. The two Texas natives are reminiscent of Daft Punk, The Clash, and a little bit of Prince. In my opinion, anyone can go to their show and leave a born-again Ghostland fan. I was absolutely mesmerized in the front row. The way Behrens takes the stage like a rockstar while Turner handles the beats makes it impossible not to dance all over the place at an alarming rate.

The combination of electronics inspires a liberating feeling that converges all the fondness of childhood with the perks of being an adult. With his confident attitude and vivacious dancing, Behrens reminds you that self-expression is the essence of living. There's the temptation to close your eyes to feel free with the music, but then you could miss the epic light show or a piece of the constant entertainment on stage. In my eyes, it's a win/win situation.

Check out this video of Aaron singing "Vibrate" while dancing his body off: