Live!
Who: Oppenheimer, Surefire Broadcast When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Galaxy Hut, Arlington
Thursday,
October 26, 2006; Page VA08
If you search for the name Oppenheimer on the
Internet, chances are you'll find references to the man
called the father of the atomic bomb, or links to the
investment company before you'll hit material about the
Belfast electro-pop duo. The musical act claims no
association with international finance or nuclear power, but
its upbeat, keyboard-based sound does offer the opportunity
for music writers to make statements such as "Oppenheimer's
music is the bomb" and it's "on the money."
Musicians Shaun Robinson (vocals, drums, keys,
guitars) and Rocky O'Reilly (guitar, keys, percussion,
Macintosh computer) make an endearing, joyous noise. The two
had played together in another Belfast-based band, but in
2005, intrigued with keyboards, they began looping and
recording tracks and playing in local clubs as a duo. The
band first reached a wide audience in Britain thanks to the
help of deejay David Holmes and airplay on BBC Radio of
"Breakfast in NYC," the first single on the band's
self-titled debut CD. Before coming to the United States,
however, Oppenheimer honed its act playing with groups
including Architecture in Helsinki and the Bravery, and
recording with guest vocalist Tim Wheeler of Ash, who
appears on the track "Orchid."
The pair joined several other Northern Ireland
acts at the annual South by Southwest Music and Media
Conference in Austin this year and returned to the United
States last month for five weeks of shows, including this
weekend's Galaxy Hut gig. Oppenheimer's sound could be
described as a blend of the French synth-pop duo Air and the
gently rocking indie favorites the Postal Service.
Surefire Broadcast, an indie rock/pop quartet from
Hammonton, N.J., will open the show. You can hear echoes of
Buddy Holly in its Rickenbacker guitars, but the band also
evokes more modern heroes such as the Shins and Grandaddy.
On Surefire Broadcast's Myspace.com page, you'll find sound
clips and videos, including one in which friends in
Oppenheimer are visited by police during a live set at a
pool party in Hammonton. Rather than shut the show down, one
officer decided to join the fun and is shown dancing and
clapping to the contagiously happy music.
-- MARIANNE MEYER
mariannemeyer@comcast.net
Galaxy Hut is at 2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington.
Admission is $5 and is restricted to those 21 and older. For
more information visit http://www.myspace.com/galaxyhut.
NOTE: This article originally appeared
online at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102500492.html
