The Glaswegian quintet with a reputation for beautifully dissonant melodieslived up to the hype when they took the stage of New York's Bowery Ballroom. The five young men (average age twenty) captivated the audience for the duration of their lengthy set -- a feat unto itself, seeing as the average Mogwai song drips out of the bands' instruments slower than sap out of a tree. Unquestionably, Mogwai are not one of those juvenile groups hung up on self-conscious mock-irony and anger that stretches beyond their years. Actually, Mogwai don't really sing, and frankly, with the depth and scope of music they create -- especially in a live setting -- they don't have to.

Opening with a sprawling stream of epic songs clocking in at nearly seven minutes each, Mogwai took an equal interest in ambience and intensity, layering guitar over guitar to create a smooth, dreamy stratum of white noise. Just as the crowd faded into the haze, they'd awaken with an unexpected and vicious jab of noise. Not a vocal was amplified until song six ("Cody," from the upcoming Come On Die Young), and even then singer/guitarist Stuart Braithwaite's voice was a soft-spoken lament which he swiftly abandoned for the remainder of the set. Mogwai's musical style has little (if any) pop sensibility, but their lush and understated passion for musical meandering is nothing if not accessible. Their unexpected shifts from quiet strumming to resonant roaring kept the young audience focused, despite the contention that the MTV generation has little more than a sound-bite attention span.

Band members floated dreamily around the stage and traded instruments effortlessly. Braithwaite maintained an air of control despite being immersed in his mates' inspired chaos. Martin Bulloch's drumming alternated from detached brush strokes to heavy-handed pounding, while neophyte Barry Burns gracefully swapped airy flute and feedback-laden guitar. Their stage demeanor melded with their fluctuating songs, as Braithwaite chatted affably between numbers with the audience and jocularly retorted to hecklers. ("Play the fifth song on the red album!" went unanswered; "How's Edinburgh?" garnered a response of "It's always shite.")

The highlight of the set was the closing number, a blistering version of "Like Herod," from the group's debut album, Young Team. The song slowly built from a whisper to a shout and ultimately, a scream. It was a grand finale of swirling noise and cacophony concocted through the chemistry of Braithewaite, Bulloch, Burns and guitarists Dominic Aitchison and John Cummings, with each contributing to the confusion with solo spins on the drum kit. They may have been branded the next wave of shoegazing, but with their stellar live set and elegant dexterity, Mogwai defy labels.

WILLIAM VAN METER
(March 2, 1999)