If you would, indulge me for a moment. From a technical standpoint, there's nothing Earth shatteringly hard about discussing the transcendent and transformational power of art. People write about this topic all the time. It becomes much more difficult when trying to find words that you know don't exist to describe a specific event or moment in time which can only be experienced to be understood. I have a bit of an advantage in a forum such as this where I can provide concrete musical examples, and yet, this still doesn't make the subject at hand any less daunting.
Such is the case when writing about seeing The Non with the Cloud Collision Orchestra at the Norman Music Festival this Sunday. Up to this point, I had already been treated to outstanding performances from Radio Deception, Jacob Abello and Unwed Sailor, but this performance was simply unbelievable. Backed by a nearly flawless chamber orchestra at least 20 members strong (though, admittedly, I didn't count), The Non tore through songs from both their debut album "Paper City" and their latest offering "Tadaima." Most would probably classify these guys as "post-rock" given the fact that their songs are almost entirely instrumentals which all but disregard pop song structures. If one was to liken them to any other groups operating in a similar medium, Explosions in the Sky or Unwed Sailor are about the closest comparisons that could be made. On record, they sound spacious and full, given to eruptive bursts of shimmering layers of washed out guitar lines.
Live, they create space. In about as literal a sense as I can possibly convey.
The Non - Horatio Meets Ralph
Sitting there in the packed out Sooner Theater as the concert went on, I began to feel myself transported. Around halfway through, I had tears in my eyes. Never before have I experienced a performance as powerful as this (save for the time I played Mahler's 3rd Symphony in college, but having been a part of that performance, I can't really class it the same). If you can accept a description laden with such blatantly religious undertones, this performance seemed to literally open up the space between Heaven and Earth. It described to me what I can only imagine would be the wonder of journeying out of this existence and into the next, slowly floating through a sea of light toward a second life that seems just within reach, if only for a brief moment. This music has purpose. At the risk of sounding like a burned out psychonaut, it makes you give in to astonishment whether you are willing to or not.
The Non - Cloud Collsion
They closed their set with a rendition of "Tofu Fire" from their first album which I can only describe as glory wrapped in amazement. Near the end, every instrument dropped out, leaving the orchestra acting as a de facto choir singing completely unaccompanied for a few bars, only to be overtaken by every instrument crashing back in at once for one final and astounding crescendo to the rapturous end. Up until this moment, most of the audience was seated but enthusiastically appreciative. Once this final charge started, everyone was on their feet and I was immediately taken with how instantly this room full of people, many who had likely not been exposed to music of this kind until today, were moved to react so uniformly and uproariously. It occurred to me that it's moments like this one that make me want to continue making my own music. No other singular force in the world can communicate so many different ideas to so many people at once, all while still saying literally the same thing to everyone.
The Non - Tofu Fire
I've embedded a few tracks here, but you will not understand until you've been able to see them perform live, and even then, I can't guarantee that your experience will be anywhere close to the same. I guess in a way, this post was more personal than anything else, but I felt it was worth sharing. These guys are very special and I can only hope that they will be able to touch your spirit the same way they touched mine.
