Black Moth Super Rainbow Fans Turn Out, Show Little Love For The Hood Internet
By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on May 13, 2013 4:00PM
Black Moth Super Rainbow is, among many things, hard to categorize. That's likely why the Pittsburgh quintet's decision to ask Chicago mashup maestros The Hood Internet to tour with them was simultaneously questionable and agreeable.
The tour pulled through Chicago Saturday night at the Metro and, considering this was the Hood Internet's first hometown show since the release of their delightful seventh mixtape, this writer expected anticipation to be a bit higher. Unfortunately it became clear early into the set that BMSR fans' love did not extend to the duo. Instead the crowd treated STV SLV and ABX as if they were the house DJs, spinning simply to kill time, instead of an actual billed act.
It wasn't until the last five minutes of the Hood Internet's set, when they pulled out their version of R. Kelly's "Ignition Remix," that the crowd really got into it...of course. Luckily, the response was much better and the crowd larger for the night's headliner. The last time I saw BMSR, it wasn't just the music that was psychedelic. Flashing lights; a bizarre video backdrop; and costumed stage guests made for quite the mind bending experience.

This time around, things were much more peaceful, showcasing the band's mature, more coherent yet still analog style. It's a step for the band that's most audible on their latest, Cobra Juicy, which the unsurprisingly weighed heavily on. And instead of eerie imagery, their signature video backdrop displayed non-distinct shots of serene scenery.
Between the electronic hum of the band, vocalist and songwriter Tobacco's manipulated voice through the vocoder and the imagery, it was hard to not sway one's hips and feel your eyelids growing a bit heavy — but in a good way.
Despite a lackluster start to the evening, Black Moth Super Rainbow rounded out the night with a warm, groovy performance to heat up the chilly night.