Devices in Shift, a very alternative El Paso band, played the second set Saturday at Hiney's. They came on after Heartfelt Embrace, and before Antigone, playing to a large crowd that was mostly there to see them in particular. They are one of the best bands in town, and very fresh.
In a set that closely follows their latest album, Velas para la Enferma, DIS exhibited excellent musicianship and superior showmanship. They effortlessly apply dramatic speed and time changes. Their dancing is violent, but well-done. Some bands that dance like this position themselves near each other, which adds comic relief, but the members of Devices in Shift keep some distance between themselves. This fits in with an overall theme in which they are more about the band than about the individual, and more about the show than about the band. They remind me a lot of Pink Floyd.
They use, in a fascinating way, a lot of electronic sounds and audio clips. These include the voices of Adolph Hitler, at the beginning of the show, and President Bush, at the end. For better or worse, they want to be sure that everybody knows they don't like the President. At least they don't intersperse the Bush and Hitler clips; I'm sure it occurred to them.
On the negative side, I wish they were a little cleaner. I am not high on the vocals. Like most of El Paso's singers, Jaycee could use some voice lessons. I would really like to see them put two sets together. The various effects and audio clips, while dazzling, are arguably overdone, and might become tedious if they did play more than one set.
Overall, Devices in Shift is a very inventive band. They are very tight, especially for their second show in five months. They are a must-see El Paso band.
- Charles Hurley
