By Shakia Mayer
Correspondent
With an electro-pop sound accompanied by a vibrant video projection, featured band Anamanaguchi transformed the Rathskeller into a life-size Nintendo-themed dance party on Nov. 6 at the College Union Board (CUB) sponsored electro-pop night.
The band’s blend of electronic, punk and pop was achieved by chiptunes — music synthesized in a similar manner to video game or computer music. The cast of the band’s members has been rotating since 2005, but lead guitarist Peter Berkman said he believes they now have a solid group. Anamanaguchi currently consists of Berkman, guitarist Ary Warnaar, bass guitarist James DeVito and drummer Luke Silas.
The crowd responded enthusiastically to the band’s energy. At one point in the performance, a group of girls from the audience danced below the stage, as others tapped and nodded along from their seats.
“We should keep the dance vibe up because I am enjoying it very much … This place is awesome. I feel like I’m Zach from ‘Saved By The Bell,’” Berkman said.
Besides the stylish artwork projected and the video game sound, another unconventional element of the performance was the lack of lyrics in the band’s songs.
“I’m very interested in the texture of the sound,” Berkman said.
When he first started writing songs for Anamanaguchi, he toyed with the idea of words but ultimately decided to leave them out.
“What would we sing about? It would probably be very silly,” he said.
The idea for the sound of the band came from Berkman’s interest in bridging rock and electronic music he said.
The Naked Hearts, a band from Brooklyn, New York, opened for the night. Vocalist and guitarist Amy Cooper and drummer and vocalist Noah Wheeler make up the boy/girl duo, which Cooper described as an Indie pop band.
