Song Spotlight: Gigi's PAC (a night at The Airliner Bar)

Blast from the past. My primary reason for heading out to the Make Out Music showcase at The Airliner Bar was to catch I'll show you magic, a band I recently wrote about in a Song Spotlight article. The first band up for the night was Gigi. The band has an eclectic sound that just might remind you of the beatnik music that accompanied Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. 

Gigi at The Airliner Bar

But what's the blast from the past all about? After the set, I approached lead singer Kristianne Bautista to get the setlist. She asked if I used to shoot at The Echo. I will admit I found that a strange question and wasn't sure how to answer that. I used to shoot at the venue all the time, but don't photograph there as much anymore. She had a reason for asking me that, because she put the question into context. She used to be the lead singer of Kan Wakan. During the 2013-2014 time frame, the band was one of my favorites. In fact, in 2013, I listed the band as one of my favorite new finds of the year. I did see them for the first time at The Echo when they had a February 2013 residency. When, due to work, I was sent up to San Francisco for a few months I got to catch the band at Brick and Mortar. 

Gigi at The Airliner Bar

Interestingly enough, Kan Wakan had a smooth New Age-soft jazz sound. Based on my description above, Gigi is a 180 degree different sound. Yet there is a similarity as both are large group bands. I forget how many musicians were exactly in Kan Wakan, but it was a large group. Six musicians make up Gigi. 

The night started off with Bautista facing the drummer and raising her left arm. She was holding a tambourine and shaking it, giving it a sound like a rattlesnake. She wore a headscarf and sunglasses, which made one think all the more of Audrey Hepburn. The band then exploded like a clash of thunder led by some wild saxophone sounds. Through out the set, the band did some performance art with the bassist at one playing the bass between the legs -- like a basketball player doing a crossover or a cowboy starting (breaking-in) a horse. 

Gigi at The Airliner Bar

Comment of the set: sorry, we're really bad at this. 

That comment was made after the guitarist said, "I need a moment." The band attempted to find someone who could tell a joke. 

Let's give the song spotlight to "PAC." That's the song that they blasted out at the start to put their Dorian mode stamp on the night. The lyrics align with beatnik poetry about being conditioned to accept what you should not accept.

Gasoline for my teeth
Pick him up some tangerines

Setlist: Intro, PAC, Message, Whisper, Comma on a Carving Stone, Belly to the Blow.