Scotch
and Murder took the trip down to DC to catch Keep Shelly in Athens at DC9. If you have been following SMM for a
minute now, you know that KSiA is one of our absolute favorites. To make this even
better, we were blessed with the opportunity to chop it up with RΠЯ
and Shara P before the show. After wrapping up their US tour the quartet heads back to
Athens for a brief four-day break, only to start up their EU tour (dates below). Upon its
completion, KSiA welcomes some time off to put together a full-length album. We
also got news that Sarah P plans to sing on an upcoming project with The New Division (another SMM favorite). Oh, and for all of you who have been wondering about the story behind the lovely name “Keep Shelly in Athens” (we know this
was on your mind): The name is a tribute to RΠЯ's hometown, the Athenian suburb of Kypseli\. In a effect a pun on the outlying distric, Kypseli, Athens. Say it with the accent and you’ve got it.
What
impressed us most in our conversation with the members of Keep Shelly is their
supreme commitment to crafting and sharing their own sound. There is no infatuation with celebrity and fortune.
Instead, the exposure is so much more
about the exposure of a sonic ethos. It’s a mentality we would love to see from more
artists. KSiA is creating something that is different, unique, and most of all their own. If you enjoy it join them. Just as we did for their DC9 performance, and what a performance it was.
Where do we begin? The quiet confidence of KSiA shines. Front woman Sarah P has an alluring stage presence, almost like a
smokescreen hiding something you’re not sure you want to find, but the vapors
are slowly dissolving whether you like it or not. In spirit, she reminded us of
the one and only baroque queen: Bjork. Sarah P has that same indefinable and
ineffable spirit---one is never sure whether it is Cinderella or Cruella, a
rose hip in the hand or a fist-full of blood. KSiA opened up with Hauntin' Me, an aptly named track that set enlivened the low level static in
this listener and just about everyone else. The live rendition of Our Own Dreams was definitely a stand out in the set, with Ms. P singing
her tender heart out over RΠЯ'Σ very lethal beats. We were presently surprised to
here KSiA
dip into their Remix bag, performing their reproduction of
ABADABAD’s California Birds, something we rarely see any band do, especially
live. It is a testament to KSiA
’s fluid courage, and their inventiveness as the
night went on. After playing our favorite KSiA
track, Struggle With Your Self, we
thought KSiA had done an extensively rich dive into their catalogue. But, we
were elated to watch them
gear up and offer another cut---and not only a
stellar one, but a new one: Madman Love. We’ll let the tracks
sound do the talking in time, but for now lets just say it’s one we’ll be
remembering for quite a while. KSiA surprised us with their generosity and
ingenuity, both on and off the stage. Cheers to Keep Shelly in Athens, and
cheers to their post as the electric beacons in the unnavigable confines of
listeners hearts and minds.
Keep Shelly in Athens EU Tour Dates:
05/3 Paris, France Espace B
05/5 London, UK Camden Crawl
05/6 Manchester, Islington Mill
05/8 Glasgow, Nice n Sleazy
05/9 Dublin, Ireland Whelans
05/10 Cork, Pavilion
05/11 Brighton @ The Great Escape, The Guardian Showcase (venue tba)
05/12 Amsterdam, Netherlands De Nieuwe Anita
05/14 Gothenburg, Sweden Pustervik
05/15 Stockholm, Debaser
05/16 Malmo, Debaser
05/17 Copenhagen, Denmark Bakken
05/21 Prague, Czech Republic Club 007
05/22 Vienna, Austria Shelter
05/24 Luzern, Switzerland Treibhaus *
05/25 Yverdon-Les-Bains, Switzerland Amaigame *