Song Spotlight: Artificial Go's Circles (a night at Permanent Records Roadhouse)

Did a band from Cincinnati, Ohio steal the show at Permanent Records Roadhouse? Maybe I wouldn't go that far as they were book ended by Los Angeles bands Julez and the Rollerz and Jagged Baptist Club who have their fan bases. Yet, Artificial Go definitely got the crowd behind them and in rather quick fashion. How would I describe the band? I'll just steal the description from their Bandcamp page, "existential post-punk chamber pop."

Artificial Go at Permanent Records Roadhouse

The band is fronted by Angie Willcutt. With tambourine in hand, she walked onto the stage in a marching band uniform with hat included. I'm a fan of old movies (like movies pre-1970s old) and so I just couldn't help but think of the 1934 movie Babes In Toyland's toy soldiers (Laurel and Hardy -- movie trailer can be seen here on Youtube) or the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's music box scene (Dick Van Dyke -- movie scene can be seen here on Youtube). Take those movies and update them with post punk art inspired dance moves, and I think that gives you an idea of Willcutt's performance. She hopped and jumped and skipped around that stage throughout their set. If she plays basketball, I'm guess she has some of the best foot work.

Their song "Circles" had Suzanne Vega vocals - just add an octave to the singer-songwriter folk vocals and include Willcutt entertaining the crowd by doing a band high step around the stage.  The official music release includes a saxophone at the end, but for the live version at Permanent Records a toy horn was brought out to make for a most amusing conclusion to the song. The song itself is a humorous observation of dog behavior. 

Artificial Go at Permanent Records Roadhouse

Uh-oh where do I go
Chasing my tail in circles

Just might have you thinking that the song would fit perfectly in a Wes Anderson movie (okay, I also go to the movie theaters). You can watch the music video for the song here.

The band got the loudest cheers to end the set with a demand for an encore. "Okay, you convinced me." With the sound team saying go for it, the band added an encore.  

Artificial Go at Permanent Records Roadhouse

I change my mind about stealing the show. When Willcutt hopped in circles on one leg while playing the tambourine and singing, that was a show stopping entertainment.

Setlist: Aphrodisiac, Walk Like a Dog, Reality Does, Circles, The World is My Runway, Bird to Woman, Red Convertible, Pay Phone, Lasso, Playing Puppet, Hallelujah.