Twenty7

Music Connection (November 2011 Issue): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1015043..

added on April 29, Sunday

Material: The music of Twenty7 ranks with the best of melodic, dramatic, and passionate rock & roll. The core of the band are originally from Turkey, and the sound is a compromise of powerful Western rock and delicate Eastern melody and rhythm. With songs like "Dream Catcher," Twenty7 clearly show their Turkish roots, while hinting of the Doors with an open, spacey, spoken-word section. This, like other songs, takes the listener on a journey with distinct peaks and valleys. In "Valley of Fire" and "Fall on You," the mood is epic, militaristic at times, and capable of lighting up an arena with the likes of U2, Queen, or Muse. Twenty7 master the rock ballad with "Glowing in the Dark" -- complete with a warm, weeping guitar solo, and aren't afraid to bring out a disco beat, synth-clav and a funky wah on the guitar for "No Chemical Love" to get the head bopping and the legs bending at the knee.



Musicianship: Starting with the drums, David McCullough makes the mulch-cultural, mulch-rhythmic material seem completely natural, and holds the beat with ease and comfort. Volkan Barut adds some ethnic flavor with percussion instruments, and shines by himself to kick off a jam between guitar player Baris Parildar (sitting in for Murat Arikan) and keyboard player Emir Isilay on "Paptya." The playing ability is sure to make any "serious" musician nod approvingly, while all others dance or stare with smiles or jaws dropped. Finally, frontman bass player-vocalist Okan Sarli is immaculate with the screaming higher melodic lines, and his multitasking with the bass would make Sting proud. He is a rock singer who ranks with the best of them, and they are all among the best at what they do.



Performance: This show transformed the small, intimate Viper Room into a London (or perhaps Istanbul) arena. Sarli was captivating up front, pouring his heart out, and dancing and flopping around the tight space with awareness and control. Behind Sarli, McCullough was the perfect image of a rock & roll drummer. Both Sarli and McCullough ended the set shirtless, and were definitely the most active physically. Although others weren't drawing much physical attention, the music was so spot-on that they all seemed to present their true selves on stage together. Nothing was forced or contrived, and the energy of the music was impossible to reject.



Summary: Twenty7 are a world-class act and prove this with the ability to make a small club like The Viper Room feel like an arena. Every element of a good rock show is present in the production, plus the intrigue of multicultural musical themes, and the multilingual lyrics. The band and the music are a joy to experience.