By Greggory Moore
May 26 was {open}’s grand opening at its new location. The evening’s official start time was 7 p.m. At that time you couldn’t tell anything had started; there was just a small number of people milling about, hunched over books, etc. But soon DJ Pur One was set up and spinning, and a steady trickle of people was drip-dropping in from outside.
It got pretty damn social. It got packed. At some point Free Moral Agents was/were set up on a floor-level stage area.
The floor plan of this incarnation of {open} allows for more people too see a performer at one time. Good thing on this night.
This was the first time I’d heard the sextet; unless I die very soon, it is unlikely to be the last. Their original brand of echoic, organic trip-hop pleasantly heavy with effect-laden keys and guitar topped off with an ethereally moaning female voice is just a coolly textured groove. The songs all have a nice movement and get into extended jams (not solos) that never seem meandering. Their MySpace site (myspace.com/freemoralagents) lists as influences Massive Attack, Blonde Redhead, and Portishead, among others. This isn’t misleading, but you need to take into account a couple of those just-alluded-to (if you were fucking paying attention) others—Sonic Youth and Pixies—to get a fuller picture (even though they’re in no way reminiscent of these). Mix in a little reggae syncopation, and there you have it. Listen, never mind what I’m saying here—just check them out for yourself. There’s a new album coming out, apparently—don’t ask me. I said to check it out for yourself. If you’re too cool or uncool for MySpace, try www.freemoralagents.com.
{open} is doing what {open} always did. Get on their mailing list, poke your head in—why the hell wouldn’t you? They’re at 2226 E. Fourth St. (just west of Junipero and Portfolio). Online they’re at www.accessopen.com.