Bonde Do Role "Geremia"

I'm still trying to separate, after listening to With Lasers for the dozenth time, Bonde Do Role on CD from their amazing performance at the Pitchfork festival last year, which marked the first time I'd both seen and heard them. At the time, it was hard for me to imagine a more perfect environment for the trio's super-enthusiastic, non-stop-fist-pumping, 8-bit boombox dance music than a hot-ass tent on a 90+ degree day, with about 500 equally sweaty fans surrounding me. Okay, here's what I wrote (somewhat over-enthusiastically, but whatever):

I got the feeling that this was going to be some sort of event—one of those rare unforgettable moments where I’m part of something bigger than just a concert, more like a happening. And then the trio (two singers and a DJ) came out blaring the bassiest shit I could hope to hear outside of Miami or a nuclear testing facility, just a non-stop mass of unrelenting energy and rhythm, and they were jumping and spinning and thrusting their arms in the air like they’d just won the Super Bowl or something. The guy is thin and tall and scruffy and the epitome of youthful excitement, but the woman is just a total show-stopper. She comes out spritely and cute, bouncing around and almost breaking into the running man at points, but is soon drenched in sweat and sexy in a strange sort of way. They rapped exclusively in their native tongue over un-clearable beats from Quiet Riot and Zeppelin, and at one point even Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” for Christ’s sake. It’s the sort of music (they call it "funk carioca") that comes with no strings attached to any notion of what’s hip or acceptable. If it’s got a break, they’ll break it. And themselves, too.

I have no recollection if they played "Geremia" (mp3), or any song other than the "Final Countdown"-copping one, but for me right now, it's Lasers' most effective plasticized realization of the energy they put into that live set (and of the bass level too, which made me hurriedly run away from the speaker when I felt the first blast of air hit my ear). Of course, all of the samples are gone now, but they're mostly fittingly replaced. The kazoos and militaristic march cadence couple with the breathless chanting and pounding bass drums (very reminiscent of OOIOO's "UMO") to create a Brazilian cartoon ROTC drill, and yes, it's as fun as you'd imagine that scenario to be. Good looking out, Domino.

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HEY LOOK WHAT I FOUND ON YOUTUBE: If you've seen The Wire before, you'll probably find this funny. Or distressing. Probably funny though.