Review: Collections of Colonies of Bees, Astral Hands & Known Moons – The Cooperage 12/20/24
POSTED:: January 8, 2025
FILED UNDER:: Concerts
Photo credit – Stephen Bloch
The Cooperage was packed on a chilly December Friday evening, as Milwaukee music fans braved the conditions to witness an evening of musical soundscapes on the harborfront, featuring musical performances from Collections of Colonies of Bees with special guests Astral Hand and Known Moons.
These three artists all performed amidst projectors and screens that were broadcasting some great psychedelic visuals throughout the three bands’s sets. The focus on all of the videos and visuals at the show made the gig feel almost like a miniature version of Psych Fest, which has become a popular perennial event in Milwaukee held annually at the Cooperage as well. I guess those brick walls might have the perfect artistic texture for spiraling geometric shapes and the whatnot.
For their performance, Collections of Colonies of Bees, drew heavily from their most recent release, 2018’s Hawaii , with swelling renditions of “Ruins,” “Giibs,” and “HAWAII.” These are three stand out tracks on a truly exceptional record that showcased the beautiful interplay between the quintet’s band members. Lead vocalist, Marielle Allschwang incorporates a lot of loops and effects into her etheral vocals to provide a whole other layer to the Collections of Colonies of Bees’s musical tapestry. Moreover, drummer Ben Derickson showcased his amazing dexterity as a percussionist, alternating regularly, and sometimes even within the same song, between using mallets, drum sticks, and whatever his imagination came up with as he drove the rhythm. The leader of the group, and resident mad scientist on guitar, Chris Rosenau had a grin from ear to ear as the band performed their set. Roseneau is a master of guitar effects and performed with one of the largest pedal boards I’ve seen in quite some time. The newer compositions that lead off the night were well-received by the audience who could tell that 2025 will be a dynamic year for one of Milwaukee’s most original and enduring bands.