On May 18 The Cinemat hosted (D)(B)(H), Fancie and Dang!Fever at their last show. The headliner, Adrian Orange and Her Band was unable to make the event.
In the waning hours of Monday evening an assortment of students and locals loitered outside The Cinemat waiting for the venues last show to start. The mood was hushed and bittersweet on the characteristically warm summer day as fans killed time by smoking cigarettes and drinking beers. In typical fashion for the Cinemat, a show that was supposed to start at 8p.m. did not begin for another two hours, but the delay allowed for those who had congregated to enjoy the dying heat and each others company.
By 10p.m. about 30 people had gathered in the Show Room, taking seats on the old cushions scattered against the walls or sitting patiently on the floor. The rest stood in the back by the bar, clutching bottles of beer with eyes weighed on the stage as the first band set up. Dang!Fever, a local Bloomington band opened for the show with an improvised electronic set. The trademark screen of the Show Room hung as a backdrop and played a visualizer in sync with the music.
After Dang!Fever finished there was another delay that lasted about 45 minutes as Fancie set to play. This young blonde played a 27-minute video on the screen, which she sang along to with her hauntingly beautiful voice. The seemingly drug induced and deranged cinema experience, aptly named "The Passion & Luxury of FOG DOG" was a hodgepodge of clay animation and live action taken from YouTube and edited together.
Following Fancie promptly on stage was (D)(B)(H) which is short for Damaged Bachelor Hood, an experimental noise band from southern Indiana. They projected a home video of a woman wandering around a bathroom with a camera as they made a mess on the floor with their instruments. The sounds emitted from their playing was more akin to dogs getting into the trash but it offered an appropriate end to the Cinemat.
The Cinemat has played host to countless bands over the years, showcasing the best of Bloomington's local music and offering a venue for those passing through the town. But as is expected of these hard times not all good things can continue and after the show ended the doors to the show room closed for good.
