The popular YouTube sensation and recorded duo “Pomplamoose” visited Seattle on Oct. 26 to show off their stunning original material and creative covers on their first official tour.
Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte joined forces as successful artists in the music industry to create what is known today as “Pomplamoose,” a pair of passionate performers who can do it all. Their recorded material consists of a mixture of cover songs and originals both of which are creative and captivating, but the real test for any band is how that overall sound translates to the live setting.
The band will perform anything from “Telephone” (Lady Gaga) to “La Vie en Rose” (Edith Piaf); the first being a popular type of music and the other an older, natively French type.
Their ability to channel a pop icon into something almost elegant sounding is stunning in and of itself, but to also sing traditional French music accented with notes of accordion and piano sets them apart from other musicians.
“Pomplamoose” uses a variety of instruments in their music. Many of their music videos have organ, xylophone, piano, drums, vocals, guitar, bass, and any other instrument they can get their hands on. They use these instruments to recreate the sounds heard in many of the covers and to also introduce new original music to the scene.
In the song “Single Ladies” (Beyonce), “Pomplamoose” creates a string of syncopated claps and a base drum or kick drum to create their beat. Syncopated just means they use claps at different intervals to create a certain sound and in this case, is accompanied by a drum. With the huge production process involved in each of their songs, the question of live reinterpretation becomes real.
On Oct. 26 I had the opportunity to see them perform at the Triple Door venue in Seattle, and that had to have been one of the most entertaining shows I’ve ever been to.
Not only did they successfully recreate many of the covers and originals they have posted online and in CDs, they were hilarious onstage. They added comedy to their performance naturally by making jokes about themselves and what was going on within the theater.
They are a duo on their CD and also in their videos, but they became a six-person band up on stage. They brought with them a drummer, a guitarist, and two background vocalists.
Each person was still prone to switching instruments depending on which song it was or what had been practiced earlier. Conte switched from the piano to the guitar, and then to the drums on many occasions. Dawn sang and led the band on the base guitar for most of the show.
One of their greatest attributes is their ability to connect with the audience. During the show, they would talk to the audience and interact with them and each other. On occasion they would have a full two-minute conversation with one another during the show.
After their encore, the duo Dawn and Conte were at the merchandise table talking, signing autographs, and being personable to as many people as possible.
They currently have five albums out, some of which are three songs long, and others that are Christmas-themed. Look for tour dates, albums, songs, and/or merchandise on www.pomplamoose.com and be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel and watch the videos available to the masses.