CARNIVaL Danse Dement

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Most bands don’t let you dance on stage with them. 1/Fourth does, and that’s why they’re more fun than most bands.

Now you might be tempted to think that 1/Fourth’s weapons of choice—mixers, turntables, Serato—disqualifies them from being a band. You would be wrong. With their powers combined, they form the Voltron of Omaha dance, their specific sensibilities and unique job functions combining to form a band where each member has a place within the unit.

And if that’s not a band, what is? Well…aside from The Envy Corps, now that’s a band…but we’ll get to them.

CARNIVaL Danse Dement, held this year at The Waiting Room, is one of two large annual parties thrown by 1/Fourth (the other being October’s Vampire Masquerade). From Vegas-worthy dancers (headdresses, body paint, contortion) to the visual stylings of VJ Dinan, a little more care goes into a 1/Fourth party, and a lot more fun comes out of it.

1/Fourth Dancer: photo by Daniel MullerPlus it didn’t hurt that The Envy Corps brought a lion on stage! Is it my fault that we live in a town with a famous zoo, leading me to believe that my text messaging friend meant that there was a real lion onstage? Yes, it probably is. But within the bubble of indie space pop surrounding the Ames, Iowa quartet, a full grown man in lion costume filming the concert seemed totally valid and helped set the playful tone of the evening.

The night also featured special guest Broken Spindles, the alter ego of Joel Peterson (bass player for The Faint), a plethora of facepaint-ed, feather wearing, proto-Indians, and the 1/Fourth photobooth, a moveable picture frame that is either a) a meditation on the confines of the picture plane as it relates to the gallery space, or b) a great reason to grab your partner by the neck and a make silly ass face…on 3!

Were you there? How was?

Chad - 1/Fourth Dancer: photo by Daniel Muller