Billiard Club/Pub 161, May 30
“One of these things is not like the other.”
that was my first thought watching Avionix headline at the Billiard Club/Pub 161. Visually, Avionix is 3 frat “bro’s” and the fat kid they picked on freshman year. The frat kids needed a bassist, so they went to the fat kid promising they would stop making fun of him and get him laid.
Ok, I admit that was pretty mean. But I find it hard not to be mean after the excruciating pain my ears went through listening to their college-top 40-rock crap. If i wanted to listen to the radio, i would have turned on a fucking radio. And then I would immediately turn it off, cause the only music coming out of it is shit.
Just like most bands of this type (guys with a little bit of talent who just want to get laid by groupie sluts), they are more concerned with sounding like someone already famous than finding their own sound. They are all decent musicians, but there is little creativity at all. There is no soul.
My friend from Vegas who was in attendance described them thusly, “It’s like Muse without the talent.”
Another friend at the show said, “It’s one continuous horrible song that never ends.” I know for a fact that it wasn’t just one long, terrible song because the singer/guitarist kept offering the audience song titles. However, if he hadn’t of done that, i would have just thought they were playing the same song over and over again, using different effects pedals at different parts.
For all the unkind words, Avionix does have one thing going for them. They have a built in audience. College-age preppy girls eat this shit up. Anything remotely sounding like a Muse/Chevelle/Maroon 5 cover band is going to be pretty popular in certain places in the city. Avionix will probably be very popular (if they already aren’t) in places like CBR’s, or any number of campus bars.
oh, one other thing. Bass player, is it really necessary for you to perform a ridiculous amount of arm and leg stretches before you take the stage to just stand there and play a bass? I know you probably thought it made you look tough and edgy, but dude. seriously. You weren’t leap-kicking off the drum riser or anything.
In closing, I will paraphrase Wolverine and say that;
Avionix is good at what they do, and what they do ain’t nice.