Tumul

We recently had the strange pleasure of seeing Tumul, one of Rochester's more interesting bands, play a show at the Bug Jar. Tumul is a band that defies definition, except to say that their style of music is "Noise". Tumul's front-man blasted static and raw noise from his DJ equipment while screaming into an abused microphone. Meanwhile his partner-in-crime blasted away at a four piece drum set. Both men wore costumes reminiscent of the Rabbit from Donny Darko crossed with the chick that gets eaten by the Rancor in Jabba's palace.

After the show I asked the front-man, "What does it feel like when you're up there, head-banging and screaming and putting a beating on the ground?"

He said, "I'm in a time warp."

The funny thing was, Tumul only played one song. I asked the guys, "Only one song? Do you ever play more than one song?"

The answer: "Never! Well, except, one time halfway through our song the power went out, so that time we played two songs."

Tumul is either a band you will love or hate. Personally, I love them. Their music is clearly calculated to punish your ears, but they've thrown all the rules out the window. I am wholeheartedly behind any band that can both shock me and make me laugh. Next time you are at a show which Tumul plays, open your mind, close your eyes...and picture machine guns and people on fire. Prepare yourself for a violent, cathartic release, if you can handle the challenge. Then have a chat with the band. They are friendly, funny, and probably just as crazy off-stage as on.

See Tumul play this week on Tuesday at the Bugjar...