Energy Transcends Music at Infected Mushroom Show

Infected Mushroom's energy has the unique ability to transport any show to new heights. This was especially evident the night of Feb. 5, when the Mushroom followed three opening acts of various skill. Dyloot was the best of the three (more on that later), but even the best machine-based techno can't come anywhere close to the live band electronic show of Infected Mushroom.

Jordan Hopstone, our sports editor, pinpointed the appeal of lead singer Duvdev: By raising a single hand, and moving it not three inches side-to-side, Duvdev can command massive motion from the entire crowd. The rest of the band is like that too. Keyboardist Erez Eisen, the other founding member, is the most subdued member of the group, but he plays his instantly-recognizable hooks with a quiet energy that drives the crowd to screaming. Guitarist Tom Cunningham attacks both his solos and his backing with the zeal of, well, a rock guitarist at a huge show. Duvdev delights in jumping around the stage, highlighting the members of the band as they perform their solos.

But this show was more than just the combination of an energetic band and an enraptured audience. Rather, this show was about the synthesis of the common energy in the room. It was about a constant magnification as the band's groove inspired the audience to sing along ever-louder, causing the band to play even more crazily. On some of the most popular songs, like 2004's "Cities of the Future" and 2007's "Becoming Insane," the audience couldn't wait for the lyrics to start. Fans screamed along with the keyboard and guitar hooks, and the rest joined in with raucous abandon on the lyrics.

It was easy enough, because the Mushroom's lyrics tend to be on the simpler side. "Cities of the Future" repeats the same four lines throughout the 10-minute song, but Infected Mushroom's music has never been about the lyrics. Neither is it about the guitar, or the keyboard, or the electronic beats. Rather, the Mushroom's trademark has been the constant and insistent belief in the power of a good beat to move people.

From their bigger shows, like the Live105 Spookfest last October and ETD Pop in May, Infected Mushroom can easily rock the Cow Palace's oversized arena. But they demonstrated a different, more elusive skill that Friday night - they transformed a midsized ballroom by personally connecting with each concertgoer. When Duvdev called out to the crowd, he could see and hear the responses. When Cunningham was in the passion of a transformative guitar solo, he could lock eyes with the first several rows of the audience, and together they experienced the energy.

Perhaps that was the reason that the opening DJs left me disappointed. The first DJ, Randy, who wasn't even listed on the event's publicity, displayed a basic technical mastery of the techno equipment, but his performance was functional and not passionate. Chris Lawrence performed third, leading into Infected Mushroom, and Lawrence was not much better than Randy. However, in between the two was a memorable opening act: Dyloot.

Dyloot distinguished himself with the passion of his performance. It's not that his techno was particularly inspired - it was danceable, for sure, and included several cool effects, but I wouldn't be able to recognize it among other DJs' beats. Rather, it was Dyloot's infectious smile, his obvious joy when he added a cool new effect to the music, and the hopefulness with which he looked to the audience for approval. Dyloot clearly understood the importance of performing to the audience, rather than simply creating danceable beats.

Music is very personal for most people, and that intimacy can be lost at an arena show where a DJ sits onstage fiddling with dials. But when Infected Mushroom unloads from a stage directly in front of a smallish ballroom, the audience gets the rare chance to connect directly with such a dynamic group, and those magical connections were the power that drove this concert.

EBAC thanks Infected Mushroom for access to the show.