Review: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Last night's Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs show at the Mohawk was exactly what I wanted it to be. TEED did not have his dancers and he performed without stage lighting but he was wearing a feathered costume that I had seen in photographs. He hit the stage shortly after midnight with three tables worth of electronic equipment. I'm not sure if the show ever officially sold-out but the inside room was packed to the gills. I thought the sound for the support acts was kind of quiet but by the time TEED took the stage the bass was chest-rattlingly loud. I was crammed against the front speaker tower and the rhythm was controlling my breathing. The audience was full of fans, with most people knowing most of the lyrics to most of the songs. There is very little material that has been released in the U.S., which means these folks had been studying YouTube videos and/or downloading from BitTorrent.

The music was thumping dance jams some I recognized some I didn't. Most of the set blended from song to song without pause, with a few exceptions. As far as stage banter, there was very little speaking just singing and dancing. It is difficult for me to describe the dance mayhem that was happening in that cramped little room. Especially when Garden and Tapes & Money were played, the whole dance floor became a single, sweaty unit of pogo-ing fools who were completely losing their minds. TEED's music has elements of all of electronic music's subgenres with emphasis on some particularly dirty bass grooves that were very Chicago-House. From start to finish last night's set was a party and I really hope that the fine folks over at Transmission are able to book Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs for the Blue stage at FunFunFun Fest. His music deserves a larger scale audience and stage show. I've heard that in Europe he has glitter cannons!

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Interview: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

I have been trying to convince my friends and co-workers to go to tonight's Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs show at the Mohawk. One of the things I've been telling them is that it could be one of the most important shows of the year. Sure, that's somewhat hyperbolic but I honestly believe it. TEED's music is completely infectious and undeniably good. In Europe he is already performing at festivals so, to have the opportunity to see him play in the tiny little room inside the Mohawk is an extremely rare opportunity. Tonight's show will be one of those experiences where you'll tell people you saw TEED and the Mohawk inside and they'll be flabbergasted. All of the elements of future fame are there. He's got blogger buzz, he's big in the U.K., he has the approval of platinum-selling superstars, and he's on the verge of releasing his debut full-length album. I didn't even mention the best part, which is that tickets are only $10. I had the chance to send some questions to TEED in anticipation of tonight's show at the Mohawk and you can find those below the break. In the meantime, you should desk-dance to this song:


Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Tapes & Money video via YouTube

• You've been called the hot new dance act from England in numerous publications.  Is that inspiring or does it simply inspire pressure and stress?

Errr...honestly, that's just weird. I like making music and I'm really happy people like what I make.

• What has been the most surreal moment of your music career thus far?

It's always surreal traveling around dressing up playing music.

• What has been the most encouraging thing for you so far?  Most discouraging?

It's good when people make noise and dance, it's bad when I don't get enough sleep.

• When other people remix your music does it feel like they're messing with your children or do you enjoy hearing other's interpretations of your music?

No, it's cool. The original is always finished first so I'm happy to hear what people do with it.

• I'm sure you've been asked to do lots of remixes for other people in the past year or more, which request was the most shocking to you?  Who would you like to remix but haven't yet?

Lady Gaga definitely, I didn't think that would happen. I would like to remix people with completely different sounds to me.

Lady Gaga - Marry the Night Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur remix via YouTube

• Can Austin expect the full, dinosaur-costume, head-dress, on-stage dancer regalia at the Mohawk or did you have to scale back your stage production for the U.S. tour

Wait and see... but yeah, I had to fly.

• If money and general feasibility were no object, what sort of stage show would you create?

I don't know. I think a good show is one that makes the most out of the shitty venues and small amounts of money we have to play with. I've still got a way to go there.

• Do you still have/wear your first dino-costume that your mother helped you to sew?

I've still got it somewhere, but it's been a while since I put it on. Maybe I should get it back out.

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