Written by Nicole Rodriguez
Helping to bring this summer to a close, Tom Krell- a.k.a How To Dress Well visited Atlanta last Monday, debuting his recently released 3rd album “What Is This Heart?” at Terminal West. As a musical venue, Terminal West was such an enjoyable atmosphere. Filled with long time fans of years to newer fans, most people in attendance knew they were in for a great show and anticipation was in the air for fans who had never seen this artist live as well.
As an opening act, soloist and Atlanta native Suno Deko took the stage to share his talent and unique style. Self described as “experimental pop”, Suno Deko puts an interesting twist to pop music. Integrating spotlight, the use of many different instruments, and a loop station pedal, Deko set the mood of excitement and allure with his quirky presence. Suno was amazing and brought the crowd to life with his steady dance beats. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more from this artist soon.
As How To Dress Well came to the stage, the crowd became larger and full of unified excitement. Since I was listening to him for the first time live, paying attention to as much detail as possible was key. There was a down to earth calmness that came along with the presence of How To Dress Well, including the band and the rest of Krell’s crew. The artist mixed a few crowd favorites off of his “Love Remains” album, along with mixes of his new releases.
How To Dress Well’s sound has been described as ambient, indie R&B, with electronic influences. Experiencing the show live, I personally enjoyed the components of different genres of music accompanied with a simple but hard-hitting lyrical style. I felt a familiarity with the music, without it feeling repetitive. An artist that can have that kind of versatility is one that should be recognized. Apart from the music alone, How To Dress Well put on an amazing performance aesthetically. He utilized light, graphics, and the sounds of echoes to enhance his stage presence as a whole. His use of those components accented his music well without being too overpowering or taking away from the music. Tom Krell, although seemingly laidback, was very particular and proud of his music, which was refreshing for me to see. I’ve a seen a number of acts that perform with a sense of carelessness after having played a handful of shows.
In closing, as a whole my experience at this show was one to be remembered. The complete ensemble including the venue, Suno Deko, and How To Dress Well gave me something to want to return to(as well as giving me a new Pandora station to add). I hope to see these acts again soon.
Nicole Rodriguez resides in Atlanta and is currently attending Georgia State University majoring in Early Childhood Education. She’s loves experiencing everything Atlanta has to offer. Keep up with Nicole on her Tumblr blog and tweet her here.
