Astronautalis at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios [Show Review]

Well if you’re going to make the long haul to Denton for a show, it may as well be a great one. And there’s little doubt in my mind that by the time 2011 comes to a halt, this show will be one of the best of the year.

Astronautalis (Andrew Bothwell) played to a sold out, capacity crowd at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios on Friday night. In fact, the venue was so packed, that many of the show’s attendees had to wait in a line that wrapped around the building to get in. As an early treat, Andy came outside and briefly chatted with fans, helping to pass the time for what was a nearly hour long wait.

The wait to get in, however, would do nothing to spoil the vibe for this show. The fans were some of the most excited and energetic that I’ve seen at a local show in a long time. Despite having only released his latest, This is Our Science a little over a month prior, it seemed most fans already knew most song lyrics by heart – singing along to several songs, most notably the album’s title track.

Astronautalis mostly stuck to material from This Is Our Science, only pulling a couple songs from his back catalogue. One of the night’s highlights, however, was when Astronautalis launched into one of his trademark freestyle raps, taking topic suggestions from members of the audience. This night’s choices included Ron Washington on a cocaine bender, boomerangs, Muhammad Ali running over a rhino, Michelle Obama, hermaphrodites and Charles Bronson. A tall order that Astronautalis served up with ease.

What really struck me about this show was how much Astronautalis appeared to enjoy playing in Denton. At several points throughout the set, he told stories about his time in Denton and past shows at Rubber Gloves – including a suggestion to club owner Josh Baish to knock the walls down and expand.

Luckily, Astronautalis hits the Dallas area with regularity and hinted that he’ll be back soon. So if you missed him this past weekend, keep your eyes peeled for another show and don’t make the same mistake twice.