Elliot, the Jazz June light up Rhino's

Elliott and the Jazz June have two of the sweatiest singer/guitar players ever known to man. As they dripped sweat all over their guitars, the audience saw the emotion and effort that goes into the music of each of these bands. The energy was infectious and characteristic of Wednesday night's concert at Rhino's.\nBloomington's Bellwether started the night with a few technical problems, but pulled off a tremendous set. The audience responded to their mixture of soft and heavy, with one guy screaming, "The drummer stole my girlfriend!" Bellwether enjoyed such audience commentary throughout their set.\nThe Jazz June played next, with their unique blend of beautiful, yet forceful music. Despite the name, the Jazz June is not a jazz band. Categorizing their sound proves to be difficult; it possesses an urgency and a willingness to deviate from the norm. \nWith three guitar players, they had a very full sound. Their bass player looks like a fraternity escapee and their singer has hints of the Cure's Robert Smith in him. The Jazz June's set could not have been more tight or more powerful. It is a band that obviously has many experiences playing live and knows how to perform together.\nElliott was the true highlight of the evening. Friends from Louisville and fans from up to two hours away came to Bloomington to see one of their last shows on this tour. Singer Chris Higdon thanked the audience before they even struck a note. He emphasized they would give back the energy the audience gave to them. Considering the eagerness and dedication of the crowd, Elliott's portion of the evening exemplified this energy.\nPlaying mostly material from its latest album, False Cathedrals, Elliott showed the depth and intensity of their latest release. Many of Elliott's songs are fairly soft, but Higdon's voice and guitar give them power and emotion. Whether he was singing or crescendoing into a yell, he put everything into the music, as was evident by the sweat dripping down his face and onto his guitar. During one song, Higdon encouraged the audience to dance to the driving drum beat and bass line. Everyone obliged. \nBetween many of the songs, drummer Kevin Ratterman played spacey samples and drum kit beats. Many of Elliott's songs echoed the spacey feel, especially evident in the effects put on the guitar. This experimental feel to Elliott's music has gained them comparisons to Radiohead. Elliot easily has as much talent, but they take it in a different direction.\nWhile there are similarities, Elliot is far from a Radiohead rip-off band. Higdon's vocals, for one, set Elliott apart from any other band. Elliott never overuses distortion or effects; they don't have to hide behind effects, being skilled musicians. They know when to use effects and where they work best. Everything balanced out, the loud and soft, the experimental and the straightforward and all the other elements put into this show.\nAt the end of their set, Elliott promised to come back to Bloomington. For fans and first time listeners, the promise must be kept.