In 2014, for a secret show at Blind Bob’s, a newly reformed Brainiac played for the first time since frontman Tim Taylor’s 1997 death. Five years later, the documentary “Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero” (dir. Eric Mahoney) screened at the Neon. Warped Wing Brewing Company released its Brainiac Pale Ale. To cap off the week, the band melted the faces of hundreds of fans for a seemingly one-off show at the Brightside.
The noise rock legends synthesized the future of music once again, 22 years after the band’s disbandment.
Cincinnati two-piece Lung opened the show, with Daisy Kaplan’s drums and Kate Wakefield’s electric cello and vocals forming a good insulated base for the shock to come.
Unsure how I was exposed to Brainiac’s music or got tickets to the sold-out show, I leaned on the exposed brick at the Brightside, shoulder-to-shoulder with fans singing every disjointed lyric, in disbelief as to what I was looking at or listening to.
It was the deconstructed pop songs, the abrasive guitar hooks, the synth pitch benders, and the unorthodox vocoders from the 2019 Brainiac show that made me realize that music doesn’t have to fit within the context of traditional theory; music can be attractive in an unattractive way.
The 2019 reunion at the Brightside — which drummer Tyler Trent referred to having a variety show feel, with myriad special guests and singers — was not the nostalgic, one-off show Brainiac anticipated, considering the band’s subsequent UK tour with Mogwai, among other short stint tours in the US.
I met up with Trent and current Brainiac guitarist Tim Krug, who initially played with the band in 2014, to talk about the upcoming tour and the future of Brainiac.
“It almost started with a little bit of that tribute element, like celebrating Tim [Taylor] and celebrating the band and the music,” Krug said. “We were getting approval from people whose approval we wanted while doing it, people that knew the band back then, people that knew and loved Tim.”
“Since 2023, it’s really taken a turn, kind of a shift into this next phase of doing this again, where it’s been a lot more cohesive, like a band,” Trent added. “Ever since Mogwai asked us to go with them to the UK, we just kind of decided, if we’re going to do this, let’s kick into band mode.”
Some of Mogwai’s earliest shows were as an opening act for Brainiac in the 90s, making it especially significant that Brainiac is now opening for Mogwai on this upcoming tour.
Being one of the top tier Dayton music exports, Brainiac always makes a point to play for the hometown crowds, often kicking off tours here. There’s a palpable energy difference between playing for a Dayton crowd and a crowd in another city, the band said, and Dayton knows what to expect.
The last few Brainiac releases — “Attic Tapes” (2021) and “The Predator Nominate” EP (2023) — have been deep dives into recently unearthed Tim Taylor recordings, which are now glimpses into the band’s next phase, albeit posthumously.
With the late enigmatic frontman Taylor having been the main songwriter in the band, I asked if there was ever talk to write more Brainiac material after his death.
“There’s not really a concerted effort, but it’s not a foreign idea,” Trent said. “It’s open ended. Nothing is written right now, but it’s not unforeseeable. There are still some people out there that may not be 100% on board with us doing this without Tim. But seeing fans and their reactions, how much they actually really want to hear this music, it means so much.”
For the 2014 secret show, bassist Juan Monasterio, who took a years-long break from music, faced the back wall of Blind Bob’s, and stared at his bass hand. Now, a decade later, Trent says that Monasterio is the best part of the live show — he’s climbing on things, making people uncomfortable, and reminding Trent of Tim.
Krug, who was a Brainiac fan first in the 1990s, would seek out shows in the “weird warehouses” or whatever place the fire marshal was shutting down. Now as an official member, he says his stance has always been that he will do whatever the other guys let him do.
Guitarist and singer John Schmersal was on tour with Caribou at the time of our conversation.
“Brainiac lived a very charmed life. We worked really hard, but we also had a lot of luck,” Trent said. “It’s been really cool watching all of us getting back into that comfortability, playing together. The shows are getting more and more chaotic. We’re just kind of enjoying the ride, not taking it for granted.”
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
How to go
What: Brainiac, with special guests Bomb Bunny & The Heartthrobs
When: 9 p.m., April 5
Where: The Brightside, 905 E. 3rd St., Dayton
Cost: $25
Tickets: thebrightsidedayton.com
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