Gnomonaut brought their cosmic face proggalicious sounds to Sweetwater Live in Duluth, GA and I was so psyched. Due to lots of conflicting dates, I was unable to catch any Gnomonaut shows this year. I was totally bummed so when I heard that this Atlanta based space quartet was playing their last show of the year, trust me, I was running, not walking, to catch this performance.
My first impression when I got to the venue was that this is a cool fucking room. It is a bit on the smokey side but it has a great bar, lots of seating, and a great looking stage. Gnomonaut’s stage was definitely something to be seen. Decked out in black light glow painted scenery, magic mushrooms, and a huge as fuck pipe smoking, taking gnome head (yes, you heard me right), I just couldn’t help but smile. I am always saying that I wish bands would put in even just a little effort to give their audience something more than just a bunch of amps, black shirts/jeans and hair. These guys took it to a whole other level and delivered a performance that was as musically stellar as it was visually.
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Kicking things off with “Bekajamir”, I was immediately reminded of why I love this band so fucking much. Gnomonaut pulls from their progressive rock, metal, and at times stoner rock influences and manage to put it all one sweet ass goulash that is accessible and easy to love whether you’re a diehard proggy, a metalhead, or a fan of both. Next was a pair of new (to me, at least) songs. “Dark Matter” and “Trial By Stone” are both absolutely stellar songs and a great sign that Gnomonaut is a band that continues to grow and find new ways to explore their cosmic vibe. In between songs, instead of bantering themselves, the Gnome Wizard head would light up, smoke his pipe, and speak to the audience from the cosmos. I thought this was absolutely brilliant as it captured the attention of everyone in attendance and kept them engaged while the band tuned. It’s just fantastic.
This was also my first time seeing them with new guitarist Jonathan Beckner. While definitely a great guitarist, Beckner seemed to be the least connected with the songs than the other ‘nauts. I’m not sure if it’s just that he’s a newer member of if it was a stage sound thing but while the rest of the band seemed connected, engaged, and in the song, Beckner just seemed a bit tense and kind of looking for direction at times. Maybe it was an off night but I would love to see him loosen up a little bit and connect.
All in all, this Gnomonaut was an amazing performance from a band that I can only hope will continue to grow and earn more fans. Seeing Gnomonaut definitely had me asking the question, “Why aren’t there hunderds of people here to see this?” They continue go astound me with their musicianship and now with their new stage show, Gnomonaut will continue to wow audiences with a memorable live performance. I can only hope that we’ll get some new music from them in the near future as well.
Setlist:
Bekajamir, Dark Matter, Trial by Stone, Gnomonaut, Solomon, Beard Mudding
Check out Gnomonaut at https://www.facebook.com/gnomonaut
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