Yesterday at NX35: The Show Is The Rainbow at Hailey's

BAND: The Show Is The RainbowVENUE: Hailey'sTIME: 10:30ish Crowds aren't really drawn to Lincoln, Nebraska, native Darren Keen's one-man band The Show Is The Rainbow. But once audiences glance over at the pudgy,sweaty Keen gryating/dancing away, they sure have trouble looking away. Or, at least, as much was the case at Hailey's last night as Keen warmed the...

By Pete Freedman

March 16, 2009

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BAND: The Show Is The Rainbow
VENUE: Hailey's
TIME: 10:30ish

Crowds aren't really drawn to Lincoln, Nebraska, native Darren Keen's one-man band The Show Is The Rainbow. But once audiences glance over at the pudgy,sweaty Keen gryating/dancing away, they sure have trouble looking away.

Or, at least, as much was the case at Hailey's last night as Keen warmed the swelling crowd for Monotonix's highly anticipated set. Crowd members may have variedly danced to, smiled along with, shook their heads at and poked fun at the performance, but one thing's for sure: They all watched, at once befuddled and entertained.

Nestled comfortably between "sardonic genius" and "utter trainwreck", The Show Is The Rainbow's sound at once recalls Ratatat (with its powerful guitar licks), Cake (with its ironically detached vocals) and hipster hop (with its blips and beeps and sometimes quick-paced vocals) as its show conjurs a mix of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and a bad acid trip.

Was it artful? Sure. Was it entertaining? Absolutely. Was it memorable? Pretty much.

It might not have been a pot of gold, but, at the end of The Show Is The Rainbow, crowds seemed pleased enough (if a littled miffed as well).

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