On Friday night, several hundred Gainesville residents braved the Florida summer heat to see Morningbell. Fresh off a two-week tour in promotion of its latest album “Bôa Noite,” the band performed on Bo Diddley Community Plaza for the Free Fridays series.
Nobody was still while the band played its first set compiled of a mix of songs from its previous albums. A man with waist-length gray hair danced, rolling his hips and kicking his feet. A girl in a pink tutu twirled with her older sister. A group of mothers in sundresses donning back tattoos waved their arms above their heads, sloshing their drinks.
Morningbell’s earlier sound is as eclectic as its fans, with musical influences ranging from the Beatles and ska influences to Radiohead and soul.
Since its formation in 2000 by brothers Eric Atria, bass, and Travis Atria, lead vocals and guitar, Morningbell has produced six albums on its own nonprofit, independent local label, Orange Records of Gainesville. Current members include Stacie Atria on keyboard and Chris Hillman on drums.
“Bôa Noite,” released in May, represents a noticeable shift in the band’s sound. The Atria brothers said they turned to Claude Debussy and other classical musicians as inspiration for the composition, resulting in an ethereal, orchestral sound.
There were many avant-garde classical musicians Travis Atria started listening to, he said, “and that’s the weirdest sh-t you can imagine. Makes Yoko Ono sound like the Bee Gees.”
In order to create a classical sound with multiple instruments, Eric Atria said, they hired musicians all over Gainesville to record pieces of songs separately rather than rent an orchestra hall and hire a full orchestra.
“On the title track of the album, which is the most orchestrated, we had them each play a phrase,” Eric Atria said. “So it would be four bars of a part, and then I just cut and pasted it — so it would be four bars of chaos.”
Although Friday’s show was cut short by a sudden thunderstorm, Morningbell will be making appearances in Gainesville before getting back to the studio.
“We had a very successful tour, a very successful press campaign, and now we’re just playing some home shows and taking it easy for a while,” Eric Atria said. “We just like playing music in Gainesville. It’s our home.”
Morningbell’s next show is Sept. 13 at Loosey’s, 120 SW First Ave., at 10 p.m. In the meantime, the Atrias’ cover band, the Sh--ty Beatles, will play Saturday at Loosey’s, also at 10 p.m.
“Bôa Noite” is available on both morningbellonline.com and iTunes.
From left, Morningbell members Stacie Atria, Chris Hillman, Travis Atria and Eric Atria open their set after returning from a press tour to promote their latest album, “Bôa Noite.”
