Apes and Androids Do Halloween At Le Poisson Rouge

( Photo courtesy Michael Stewart. )

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Every time theatrical glam-prog rockers Apes and Androids take the stage, it feels like Halloween. You can always count on a Busby Berkeley-size supporting cast of costumed dancers, massive paper mache demon heads, neon boats sailing through the crowd, stilt-walkers, confetti, balloons and vast mountains of glitter. And their shows that actually coincide with Halloween—in '06 at The Annex when they recreated Michael Jackson's Thriller in 3D, and last year at an obscure Williamsburg loft—have cemented their reputation as New York's ultimate spook night party band.

So if their brief, 45-minute set at Le Poisson Rouge last night seemed less grandiose than usual, it's only because they've set the bar so high with their previous spectacles. There were no epic theatrical surprises last night—unless you count a blistering cover of Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People"—but they still killed, thanks in no small part to the club's excellent sound mix. The percussion was thunderous, but didn't overpower any of the propulsive, dancey keyboard and guitar hooks that have given Apes and Androids their rabid cult following. A short set, but they played all the hits, and the sold-out room ate it up.

Special thanks to Michael Stewart for the photographs.