Upon entering Be Here Now Friday night, concert-goers were greeted with the blended sounds of funk, reggae and even new wave jazz. The Twin Cats, one of the first local Indianapolis based jam bands to land a gig on national television, is a group known for their ever-changing live performance, blending genres of all styles of music and improvising all the meanwhile. At Friday’s Village gig, their show fell nothing short of this reputation.
After opening act Diphox, finished his set, the overall vibe of the room was somewhat laid back until The Twin Cats took the stage. Their set picked up swiftly as their improvisational jams constantly raised the energy and momentum of the crowd. Their sound was similar to that of Phish or Umphrey’s McGee in the sense that the structure of each song is set in such free form.
Mitchell Miller, a bartender at the Irish Mutt located in Indianapolis, attended the show. He said he became a dedicated fan immediately after seeing one of The Twin Cats’ many live shows at the Mousetrap, a bar and grill located in Indianapolis.
“It was phenomenal, and the reason I kept coming back,” Miller said. “They have so many different talents and they completely stole the show.”
The diversity in the crowd matched the diversity in The Twin Cats’ sound. No one song is played the same way twice.
“It’s jazzy, it’s funky, there’s reggae and just a little bit of everything,” said telecommunications major Rebekah Wagner.
Wagner has seen The Twin Cats perform a couple times in Muncie. She describes their sound to be similar to that of Midwest Hype, an alternative funk rock band based out of Chicago, Ill.
The Twin Cats are currently on a mini weekend tour and played Martyrs’ in Chicago prior to the show at Be Here Now. Their tour manager, Tom Rhoton, has been with the band for three years and plays a big role in managing the duties behind the scene.
“I get the gear where it needs to be and stay in contact with what bar they’re playing at,” Rhoton said. “We make it a big point to be professional on tour.”
