PHOTOS/REVIEW: bar italia @ First Unitarian Church
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WRITTEN/PHOTOS BY: Sydney Martin
Although the lights at the First Unitarian Church are of no special effect, with an alluring
presence and captivating voice, Nina Cristante was fatedly in the spotlight– a yellow bulb
illuminating her face, drawing shadows and animating even the smallest of the expressions
she revealed to the audience. Jezmi Tarik Fehmi stood on her left, wearing bright orange
and large square framed glasses; Sam Fenton on her right, sporting a discreetly designer
sweatshirt and giant Cobain-esque sunglasses, the len’s darkened and concealing half his
face. Renouncing 21st century ideals of self-promotion, the minimalist post punk band
seemed to take the same ideological inspiration from past decades as they do in their music
in their appearance.
Throughout their hour-long set, they addressed each other and the audience minimally;
their unique sound introducing the trio as bar italia, further words being needless.
Quick switching vocals made it sound as if the bandmates were conversing at times, closely
arranged lyrics nearly colliding–at other times they would, a holy trinity of pained voices
facing the audience, a pressureless offering to listen but nonetheless an inescapable one.
Upbeat rock instrumentals formed a silver lining around Nina’s yearning vocals, starting off
the set with “Polly Amour”. Punctuating the brushing of drums was the tambourine, its first
appearance made in “calm down with me,” moving salaciously when included in moodier
compositions. Nina played the tambourine seamlessly to the rhythm of Eterna’s drumming,
eyes down and body rigidly twisting in synchronization.
Drums exploded and guitars wailed during the chorus, driving into the next instrumentally
loud song “my little tony”, an energetic song utilizing all of the vocalists.
Further characterizing bar italia’s vocals as being raw, fluid, and jagged in nature–Absent of
audible modification, holding emotion, conversation, and vulnerability– was their thoughtful
and humble instances of allowing the music to drown out their own voices. If you weren’t
always watching the stage, it was easy to miss certain members of the band singing as they
purposely lowered their voices beneath the instruments; a supporting hum adding great
dimension.
Sam sang in a curiously monotonous tone, his voice dragging with intention as he held a
stoic expression, contrasting powerfully with the strained faces of his bandmates. Flipping
through faces and voices of repulsion, adoration, and sadness, Nina sang with a versatile
range of passion.
Amongst the beautiful chaos that made up a good bit of the set were songs such as “twist”;
instruments orderly and mellow, slowly building up to a deeply agonized crescendo, in
which all sounds scattered at the end.
“In my kiss era” a tired tambourine helped punctuate the drums, redundant guitar laying
behind Nina’s weary singing making time pass curiously, a heavy sadness falling briefly
over the crowd.
Rising from the melancholic tone of their first song, the songs played later in the set were
heavier and louder; energized by tambourines and shimmying drums played by Eterna.
“Bibs” took an unexpected turn from weary to yearning to dangerously desiring, guitars
wailing and their voices uniting nearing the end.
The emotional range the band had vocally was impressive; Nina came on stage posed as
wounded in “Polly Amour”, lustful in “calm down with me” and compassionate in “sounds
like you had to be there”. Although standing generally still as she sang, every muscle in her
face engaged in producing wholehearted vocals. From swaying with her head down and
eyes closed, to jumping in a curtain of hair concealing her face, Nina kept her peace
throughout the entirety of the performance, interacting minimally with the audience despite
instances of relentless attention from fans.
Nearing the end of the show Sam took off his sunglasses and hoodie, his demeanor
softened with his face clearly showing for the first time.
Jezmi sang as a strong baritone, his voice rising and falling wobbly– vocals comparable to
the Smashing Pumpkins, –straining to sound out fully but incapable of doing so, a sort of
wallow mixed with irony. Unlodging the frog in his throat, Jezmi’s voice was briefly released
in a wholehearted manner nearing the end of the set, only to recede back to its former state.
Longing was a feeling felt throughout the concert; longing to decipher quieter vocals,
longing for the weariness to be renounced, longing for instruments to align. Bar Italia came
on stage mysteriously, unearthing feelings of perpetual longing, leaving the audience feeling
fuller than they began as.
The trio gave a new tone to conventionally covered topics; at times love became repulsive,
addiction became seduction, pain became laughable, all through the vocalist’s chosen tone
and instrumental composition. Although their music is most certainly enjoyable via
streaming services, attending a bar italia concert is an irreplaceable experience for rock,
folk, punk and– indiscriminately– music lovers of all sorts. The band’s calming yet powerful
stage presence allowed an air of ease and openness to be adopted for the duration of their
set, making the concert all the more enjoyable, paving a path between music and the
heart’s of listeners.
