The Koniac Net, Boombay Djembe Folas
May 17, 9 pm onwards
The Humming Tree, Indiranagar
Tickets: ₹499, via insider.in
It is a double dose of Mumbai bands at The Humming Tree, featuring African folk-influenced jam band Boombay Djembe Folas and alternative/hard rock band The Koniac Net. Of the two, The Koniac Net is launching their new album They Finally Herd Us . The album brings together elements of indie, punk, and hard rock. They did however choose their lead single to be ‘Crawling’, a breathy, hook-friendly rock track, which also had a music video. Guitarist-vocalist David Abraham, the founder of the band, says, “When you release a single, you need to release something accessible.” The album cover artwork features an eerie alien-like creature just appearing into view to a girl, and it is indicative of the sci-fi leanings that Abraham takes with a few song storylines. “A lot of songs revolve around the sci-fi/horror themes. It has a major sci-fi element but it is not related to the first two releases,” he says, referring to their debut album One Last Monsoon and their follow-up EP Abiogenesis . The Koniac Net returns to Bengaluru after quite some time, but Abraham says the now six-member band has a lot of convincing to do before any venue books them to perform. “We are planning for a tour but it has been really difficult. Every single venue we talk to tells us they have financial issues, which is why half the venues in Bombay are gone,” he says. Catch them while they’re here.
Aswekeepsearching, Shashwat Bulusu
May 18, 9 pm onwards
The Humming Tree, Indiranagar
Tickets: ₹499, via insider.in
One of India’s most reliable rock bands right now, Aswekeepsearching wanted to do something different on their tour. It resulted in planning the Setlist Tour, for which the Pune-based post-rock band laid out 100 minutes of their music. It makes it their longest set yet and guitarist and vocalist Uddipan Sarmah says they have never played more than 65 minutes before this. “I’m saving my voice for now,” he says with a laugh. “When an artist has a discography that is about three or four albums, they do this, but we haven’t seen any band with just two albums and one EP do this,” he says, referring to their debut EP Growing Suspicions , the debut full-length album Khwaab and their 2017 album Zia . The set-list also includes two new songs from their next album, being premiered for the first time ever. They will be supported by Baroda-based singer-songwriter Shashwat Bulusu.
Homebound Sit-Down Session
May 18, 7.30 pm onward
OO Heaven, Kalyan Nagar
Tickets: ₹ 499, via insider.in
After running successful editions of intimate gigs in cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, the Homebound Sit-Down Session arrives in Bengaluru with a fully local line-up. This weekend, the acoustic, entrancing energy of vocalist and singer-songwriter Khalid Ahamed and indie/folk trio Cinema of Excess will perform at the cozy OO Heaven, off Outer Ring Road. It is a special evening in store not just for fans, but also for the performers. Ahamed — the frontman of psychedelic rock band Parvaaz — will play his first gig after returning from their Canada tour. The Kashmiri singer-songwriter leans into his own material as well as Parvaaz songs, adorned by his distinctive voice. Cinema of Excess, comprising guitarists Bharath Kashyap and Anirudh Ravi (who also helms vocals) and bassist Abheet Anand, are no strangers to intimate gigs and this is perhaps where their delicate, often melancholic music is best showcased. They released their debut EP Bring Back the Sound last year and are prepping for another one sometime this year.
A guide to the happening gigs in town
