Math the Band

w/ Harry and the Potters, Uncle Monsterface

Wednesday, July 2 @ 40 Watt Club

originally published July 2, 2008

Math the Band doesn’t play math rock or rock about math, even though the songs have titles like “The Reciprocals Will Not Reciprocate” and “My Algebra Teacher Sold Heroin.”

“We have one song that has the quadratic formula in it because I had a hard time remembering that in school, so I put it to a song for myself,” guitarist and singer Kevin Steinhauser says. “I don’t think we have any songs about math, and none of us particularly like math.”

Steinhauser’s manic, BPM-dialed-high anthems of adolescent whimsy began as a solo project recorded in his bedroom on a four-track recorder. He then added Justine Mainville, who plays synthesizers, and drummer Zach Burba.

The trio is joining Harry and the Potters, Uncle Monsterface and a lot of audience participation for the Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo ’08 tour. Mainville has 205 recruits throughout the bands' stops doing face painting, using microwaves as “s'mores machines” and running other activities. She thinks she has six volunteers in Athens.

“If I recall correctly, they’re making uniforms for all the volunteers, and they’re going to have an enthusiasm chant. It’s just going to be a whole lot of fun,” she says.

Math's set will draw about half its material from its newest album, Math the Band Banned the Math, and the other half from the upcoming full-length Don’t Worry. “Right now, we’re going for more of a party rock, Andrew W.K. kind of feel,” Steinhauser says. He is studying to be an elementary school teacher, although he says his material is not geared towards children. While Harry and the Potters regularly perform at libraries, Steinhauser says that doing that once was enough for him.

“It pretty much was like playing under a tent with one seven-year-old frowning at me for an hour,” he says. “And the only reason he was there was because his parents were like, ‘Hang out over there.’”

Alex Dimitropoulos

An Epic at Best

w/ Down with the Woo, Gift Horse

Saturday, July 5 @ Caledonia Lounge

originally published July 2, 2008

After Athens got all teary eyed saying "au revoir" to An Epic at Best back in September, it's time to say "bonjour" once again! Singer Robert Gunn is back home from France for the summer, just in time to celebrate the completion of the band's new EP The Spelling Sounds. "We never really considered ourselves completely broken up," says guitarist Roy Coughlin. "It was just kind of the circumstances with Rob leaving us. He's back in town for the summer, and I'm leaving first week of July, so we thought we had a little window here to do a show to promote the EP we've been working on since he left."

Although the various members of An Epic at Best have kept busy with various side projects (Natalie Roberts and Jamie McGaw in Language Arts, Coughlin in Sugar Dixx), it was important for the foursome to regroup and give this EP the attention it deserves.

"The record was the motivation to play this last show," says Gunn. Adds Coughlin, "We are really proud of these songs that the four of us wrote together, and to not get a chance to play them again and promote the record would have been sad."

Even so, the show will certainly be bittersweet. The EP is remarkably strong, particularly the title track "Spelling Sounds." The sweeping, tender ballad could easily be a radio success and practically begs to be included on a movie soundtrack. Nevertheless, with Coughlin pulling a Kerouac and traversing the nation for a year, and Gunn returning to France, promotion and distribution by Two Sheds Music will be limited.

Despite the challenges ahead, these days strong songs can survive without much label support, and these are the strongest An Epic at Best has recorded. So, before you hear this EP on the Internet and kick yourself for never seeing the band live, head down to the Caledonia.

Michelle Gilzenrat