Two Bands Make Fans At Gather

The interior of Gather, a coffee shop and community spot located at 952 State St., looked like a magical grotto. Low lighting shone over chalkboard-graffitied walls hung with vines. Amidst the vibrant scene, local bands Elm City Robots and Model Decoy prepared to play the third week of their Thursday night June residency.

Sultan Thahir, the owner of Gather, said that the shop plays host to musical events three to five times a week. ​“It’s just nice to have performances in the area, because there’s not a lot of venues in East Rock,” he explained. The arrangement provides a win-win situation for both Gather and the local artists: people come for a drink and stay for the music, or come for the music and decide to purchase a drink while there.

“I think it distinguishes us from a lot of other coffee shops,” said Gather barista Pearl Middleton-Scott. ​“It definitely creates a much more unified space.”

Chris Barone, the drummer for both Elm City Robots and Model Decoy, said that the appeal of playing at Gather lies in the community that the coffee shop fosters. ​“What I really like starts from Sultan,” he said. ​“He really wants to provide a space for people to do what we want to do. We just want to play quality rock music.” At its height, Gather provided an audience of around 15 people, which Barone described as the ideal crowd for an intimate environment. ​“We get practice, and they’re digging what we’re doing,” he said.

Chris Barone and Mike Hatfield, the vocalist for Elm City Robots, warmed up by performing two original songs. They started with ​“Slowburn,” written in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic, and followed it up with ​“Glacier,” a slow love song because, as Hatfield announced, ​“it can’t always be frowns and fists” in rock music.

Next came Elm City Robots, composed of Jim McLaughlin on bass, Chris Barone on drums, Mike Hatfield on vocals, and Vim Amendala on guitar. They performed a series of riotous rock covers of classics like ​“Bright Lights” by Gary Clark Jr. and ​“I’m a King Bee” by The Rolling Stones. Their rendition of the Beatles’ ​“Come Together” brought down the house. Hatfield spat the lyrics out like sharpened barbs, in what one audience member described with admiration as a ​“vicious” interpretation.

“Something about the Brits … they’re better at this language,” said Hatfield. His hard-rock rendition of ​“Are You Mine?” by The Arctic Monkeys made the question feel more like a demand. The customers of Gather answered with clapping hands and nodding heads.

“Want some coffee?” asked Chris Barone, as Hatfield replenished his voice with gulps from his water bottle.

“Think I do,” answered Hatfield. He chose the right place for that.

Model Decoy followed Elm City Robots, featuring Doron Monk Flake on vocals, Ari Sedowitz on guitar and vocals, and Chris Barone and Jim Mclaughlin again on drums and bass. Model Decoy evolved from The Smyrk, which Chris Barone said people once referred to as ​“the best band you never heard of.” Back before the name change, Ben Kenney of Incubus and the Roots mentored The Smyrk after discovering them on MySpace. Barone remembered it as a surreal time in his life: ​“This was my childhood hero, and I was like, going golfing with him.”

“We are Model Decoy, and we are big fans of you guys,” said Doron Monk Flake, who hails from a family with a long legacy in music (Thelonious Monk is just one of his illustrious relatives; he also grew up as one of the Monk Family Singers). The band performed spirited covers that mixed jazzy classics like ​“Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr. with hip-hop numbers like ​“Big Poppa” by The Notorious B.I.G. They also played light-hearted originals from the perspective of fictitious and real-life heroes, like ​“Hearts in Atlantis,” about superstar footballer Neymar, or ​“No Hands,” which Flake described as ​“what I imagine would happen if Dr. Strange and Wonder Woman met in a bar between universes.”

During a cover of ​“How Deep is Your Love” by the Bee Gees, Flake found himself overwhelmed with emotion. ​“I’m super sensitive,” he explained, saying that his habit of writing from the perspective of a character formed as a way to protect himself from the intensity of songwriting. ​“If I can write feelings through a character I understand, I can get some distance,” he said. The audience supported and encouraged him through the moment, with all the familiarity and compassion of close friends.

Model Decoy created an intimate and collaborative environment, bantering back and forth with the crowd, treating them like personal guests at a rehearsal session. ​“Who’s a hero you’ve always thought should have a song?” asked Flake.

“Daredevil!” shouted someone in the audience.

Ari Sedowitz began to improvise, playing a series of chords. ​“I am Daredevil and I like fighting crime,” he sang, before giving up and laughing. ​“This is why I don’t write the lyrics,” he said.

Model Decoy has built up a loyal following in its time performing at Gather. Some audience members returned after seeing them play a previous week, while others heard the music from outside and stepped in to watch. The band showed its appreciation for their listeners, and they returned it tenfold. Whether an old fan or a new one, the audience at Gather left the event well-fed, well-caffeinated, and humming along to a tune.

Elm City Robots and Model Decoy will be preforming again at Gather on 952 State St. at 5:30 PM on Thursday, June 29.