On a crisp Friday night, New York-based Chanel Beads brought its unique brand of experimental dream pop to Nashville’s Blue Room at Third Man Records. Providing a new take on classic indie-rock, Chanel Beads blends unusual musical textures, fuzzy instrumentation, and melodies that make you feel as if you are fading in and out within a daydream. Opening the show were artists Car Culture and Horse Vision, perfectly priming the stage with electronic melodies that fit perfectly with the atmospheric feel of Chanel Beads. Chanel Beads is the musical project of Shane Lavers, in collaboration with Maya McGrory and experimental violinist Zachary Paul. Together, the group combines live violin, drums, and guitar with MIDI tracks rich with unconventional yet emotional arrangements. This amalgamation of elements helps the audience focus less on the immediate gratification of an explosive chorus and focus more on letting the music take them on a journey.
The Blue Room, known for its intimate sets, was the ideal venue for this performance. Lavers wasted no time connecting with the audience through authentic dialogue in between songs, and swaying to the music along with the crowd. The project played a healthy mix of songs from their two albums, both called Your Day Will Come. “Ef” and “The Coward Forgets His Nightmare” were true standouts, as the synth melodies and drum rhythms glided effortlessly below vocals from Lavers and McGory. A crowd favorite was “Police Scanner,” which had the audience nodding along and singing with every note. In a city where performances are known to be polished and perfected, Chanel Beads challenged this notion by putting on an exciting show where the audience could expect the unexpected. The audience at The Blue Room certainly enjoyed the nostalgic taste of the band and left with a sense of comfort and familiarity through the abstraction of their music.
-Emily Duncko
Photos courtesy of Emily Duncko (For Bell Music Magazine)
