It took far too long to get to this, but it can't be ignored even if Internet immediacy makes it ancient now.
Honestly though, Portland indie duo put on the best show I've yet to see in the Tri-Cities. It was last Thursday (Feb. 26) when Brandon Summers and Ben Weikel of the Helio Sequence played at the Red Room in Kennewick. I've never seen them live but was well aware of their sound through their latest record "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" put out by SubPop.
The crowd wasn't the biggest the Red Room has seen, but it was the most emphatic. Many of the fans in the huddled dancing mass at the foot of the stage knew the words to each song.
Weikel has a drumming style that makes it impossible to take your eyes off him. From the first song he pounded across his kit, mouth wide open and eyes bulging out of their sockets. You could feel every crash from his sticks that came from throwing it down from high above his head. Imagine Pete Townsend's high arcing strike across his guitar strings and you'll begin to get the idea. For half the set he stole the show. That is until Summers broke out a harmonica for "Harmonic Song" and stole the spotlight. He blew with everything he had then tucked it away for a blistering guitar attack.
They blew through about every track on their most recent release, then turned to some older faves and even did a brief encore.
If you could only hear this live set, you'd think there was a full band on stage. And it's easy to see why with Weikel's drums, the computer loops and the many sounds Summers pulls out of his guitar. They sound at least twice as big as they are.
These guys clearly give it their all no matter where they are, which I'm sure will continue on their national tour opening for Keane.