If your taste for music is anything Bengalurean – be it funky, indie or just plain party kind – then you must make a pit stop at bFlat, Indiranagar and Brookefield, this weekend for an all Bengaluru line-up of bands.
Kicking off at the Indiranagar venue with opening set Neon Radar playing a trippy rock set before rock ‘n’ roll, funk and indie band Out of Office takes over on April 27, it’s a special evening of all originals.
The boss band
Out of Office, which has been steadily building a repertoire of own compositions for about five years now, brings a refreshing take to the scene with their subtle touch of Carnatic infused in their songs.
Lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist Rakesh VG says people can expect an up-tempo, rock ‘n’ roll show “With a largely original set and a whole lot of funk and blues thrown in for good measure. Also, since our lead guitarist Narasimha Curam is a trained Carnatic veena player, we add a soulful Carnatic touch to all the songs. Of course, we don’t push it. We use it wherever it sounds best.” Along with the duo are Aloysius Abreo on keyboard and melodica, Ravi Nair on bass and Akshay Nagmule on drums. Rakesh adds that their fun and peppy music is composed of songs that all have stories behind them. “We make personal music. We’ve released six singles so far – all with a story. We’ve also played a 12-song original set for Music Mojo and those are in a playlist on our channel. An album is in the planning stage.” Playing compelling songs with a strong sense of improvisation, irrespective of the genre of music and usually taking spontaneous excursions on stage, the band showcases a cool chemistry of funk, rock ‘n’ roll, and Carnatic music. He elaborates on their musicality: “We have an honest approach to music which is mixed, mastered and recorded completely by us. We like bringing fresh sounds to the scene and the Carnatic touch adds to the fun and spontaneity we have in our gigs.” The name Out of Office, he says came from a term used in the IT sector where employees put a tag or a post-it when they’re on a break with ‘out of office’ on it. “That’s how we got the idea since a few of us used to work in the IT sector before!”
In your head
Ahead of their show, Neon Radar opens, also with an all-original set of pop-influenced rock and rock-n-roll. An independent project of singer-songwriter-guitarist Pradip Ramanathan, the outfit combines a wide and catchy range of influences with zany, personal lyrics in an unhinged stage performance.
The artiste says the songs are memorable and catchy. “Most of the songs are really loud, some are unbelievably quiet and a few are influenced by things you wouldn’t quite expect. They’re also based on my personal experiences. I write about stuff that happens to me. I know a lot of bands do that – we are one of those bands,” he laughs and adds that their music has something for everyone.
“I hope people go back with a song stuck in their head.” Along with him will be Kaushik Kumar on bass, Shrawan Banerjee on guitars and Arvind Ramdas on drums.
Pradip points out that he hopes people who aren’t musicians enjoy his music. “That means the most to me. The best songs I like, I listen to them as a person and not as a musician. Of course, I’d like musicians to enjoy it too. There’s nothing quite like a happy crowd!”
Give Neon Radar and Out of Office a listen at bFlat, Indiranagar, on April 27, 9 pm onwards. Call 25278361.
Party rock anthem
Meanwhile at the newly opened bFlat in Brookefield, the ultimate party band Zehen plays a fun assortment of Bollywood and English mash-ups on April 28. Known for playing funky covers and Zehen originals, the band promises a non-stop entertainment evening from the first song. Frontman Ashley Joseph gives a preview: “Zehen will be bringing some new mash-ups for this gig. We’ve taken some well–known anthems and made them more anthemic. You’ll have to come over to the gig and find out yourself.” Along with Ashley on bass guitar and backing vocals, is Tanushree Dwivedi on vocals, Mark Escottee on guitars, Rohith Krishnan on keys and David Boon on drums. The takeaway for the audience, Ashley says confidently: “is an experience you’ve never had before, in terms of the way we arrange our music and belt out those big numbers. Come expecting a party! We’re an in-your-face, hard-hitting and high-energy band. We like to play straight and we don’t take breaks. The songs are arranged in such a way that it builds up momentum from the start. At the end of the day, we’ll leave you with a storyline you’ll love.” Check Zehen out at @bFlat, Brookefield Mall, on April 28, 9 pm onwards. Call 41330078.
A sound map of the grooviest shows this weekend
