Concert recap: The Helio Sequence at Gasa Gasa

This past Thursday, Beaverton, Oregon-based rock duo under Sub Pop Records The Helio Sequence delivered a performance that was both intimate and budget-friendly at Freret Street hot spot Gasa Gasa.

The band and consists of Brandon Summers on vocals and the guitar and Benjamin Weikel on the drums and keyboard. Formed in 1999, the duo has had an illustrious recording career, with six albums under their belt, an extended play (EP) and a split single with 7″ Menomena.

The band is currently on tour in support of their latest self-titled album, which was released this past May. The set primarily consisted of their 2008 self-titled album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead.
Despite the band’s small size, they delivered a complex, full sound in their Thursday evening performance — a fact Sub Pop Records noted about the duo’s recent record, calling the effort “A brisk 10 tracks shape the breathless and magnetic The Helio Sequence, a collection that depends upon an effortless kinetic energy. Crisscrossing vocals and cross-talking guitars and drums map a broad swirl of emotions. There’s a delightful candor to The Helio Sequence, an openness that is a rare and special feat for a band about to enter its third decade.”

Gasa Gasa’s intimate, yet well-equipped space served as an ideal venue for the big sounds that came from this little band. The running joke of the evening is the band’s inclination to equate every city they play in to Beaverton. New Orleans is obviously a far cry from Beaverton, yet the band seemed right at home and delivered a performance that the audience met with plenty of enthusiasm. View an extended gallery here.