Long Island City, to me, is an outpost town, a town somewhere at the edge of an island, not quite Queens, not quite Brooklyn. The sunset only can be seen between the grid streets of Manhattan like a landscape of window blinds. Yes, it’s only fitting a band called Mission: On Mars plays at the edge of the universe, or at least as it may be known to some of the nearby residents. Okay, that last part was forced writing and cheese but seriously, to many of the attendees who came out for Mission: On Mars at the Gantries, the faces – curious of the live music playing in their backyard – may have led to the band’s uninspiring set. The band may as well had been from Mars.
Mission: On Mars sounded technically good. Vocalist Kristen Hoffman sang with a tinge of Indian flavor while Neel Murgai’s throat singing added another layer to their blend of East meets West music. The band’s broad influences combine jazz, rock, funk, and Indian folk music, and was a hit among the children, who danced along with a belly dancer; imitating her movements as she flitted across the floor.
But the band played without heart and thus became boring. I had seen the band play before. It was last year at a music festival in Queens. I remember really liking them, their energy, their mojo, that hypnotic gesture they made with their instruments, and the way they made my head swirl with ‘60s decadent exuberance. At Live at the Gantries it was different but the band’s set shouldn’t have been surprising – most especially since the audience consisted of children, parents, and curious baby boomers.
If anything the show did, however, showcase the Gantries, and Long Island City for that matter, as a location for live music if the right people continue to sow these seeds.
Carlos Detres is an author and DJ, founder of multimedia online magazine, The Whiskey Dregs.
First and last photos by Carlos Detres; all other photos by Arianys Wilson, view more on Flickr.
Mission: on mars, Live at The Gantries by Renzo Ortega from Live at the Gantries on Vimeo.
