Skidmore Fountain @ CMJ 2008 from Billy Corgan on Vimeo.

Big Fat Cat Showcase @ Banjo Jim’s- Skidmore Fountain

I headed deep into Alphabet City to Banjo Jim’s for the Big Fat Cat showcase to catch Skidmore Fountain. Based in Brooklyn, not only did they look incredibly dapper and keep their set wound tighter than a tick, their brand of pop, which runs the gamut from classical to funk-inspired, was highlighted by the absence of a bassist. Why? Well, when you’ve got a crack cellist like Topu Lyo, who needs one? Lyu also used his instrument for its intended melodic purpose, driving along the theme of “Asylum,” the single that lead singer Randy Bergida demanded everyone take home for free in CD form.Bergida has one of the cleanest, most earnest voices I’ve ever heard, one that neatly skirts generic pop vocals by harmonizing with guitarist Steven Cohen. Dylan Wissing is what happens when you harness a freight train to a drum kit, and the band never had the chance to step out of line once during the set. Their full-length album, Break, is available in iTunes, Rhapsody, and CD Baby from Triple R Records.

by Heidi Vanderslice

Pulling triple duty that
night were Lyo and
drummer Dylan Wissing, both of whom are in Brooklyn four
piece Skidmore Fountain. Fronted by the lovely Randy
Bergida, Skidmore Fountain played a slick set of polished,
rock-tinged dance songs. The band had a great stage presence
and an energy that was infectious. Piano’s was packed by this
time and the audience was grooving along with Wissing’s beats
and mimicking Bergida’s words.
I was just as impressed with Lyo’s cellist skills throughout the
Skidmore set, but I was equally impressed with the
musicianship from the rest of the band. Each of the four
musicians on stage shone through wonderfully without
overpowering each other or aurally dominating the room.
Skidmore Fountain no doubt has a bright future ahead. They put
on a fun and tight set that you have to see/hear for yourself.
Really.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our last show of the year is this Thursday at CMJ.  We’ll be playing Banjo Jim’s (oct.23) at 10pm sharp.  We would love to have you celebrate and bring in our last show as we did Piano’s on Friday for the release of the single “Asylum”.

We will be taking the next few months off stage to finish up recording our 2009 release.  Stay tuned for the cd release party early 2009.
And again thanks to all that came out to piano’s.  You were an amazing audience!