Sweating out the sound at Raincheck

Let's get the obvious pun out of the way first: Friday night's concert was titled Raincheck, and the rain actually took a rain check. Co-organised by Karkhana and Let's Vibe, the entire late-June event was built around the anticipation of a monsoon downpour. The organisers went all out, curating the venue with rain-themed installations, rain shelters, and even providing complimentary raincoats—which, unfortunately, never left anyone's bags. But as anyone knows, you can consult all the meteorological reports and Google forecasts you want; if the skies decide to stay clear, they stay clear.

Yet, the lack of rain didn't stop the music flowing. Navigating some of the usual constraints of a small-ish venue and the inevitable technical difficulties that plague smaller gigs, the artists pushed through.

A few hours into the show, any lingering disappointment over the missing rain poured away, completely replaced by pure musical energy. If the old cliché is to "turn the heat up," the bands didn't need to—the venue was already a hyper-humid pressure cooker. While the thick humidity tested the endurance of both the artists on stage and the fans in the crowd, it ultimately forged a raw, intimate atmosphere.

For a sizable section of the audience, Arekta Rock Band's return to the stage was a pretty big selling point. The band has been largely out of sight since dropping their full-length album, a hiatus forced by the fact that founding members—vocalist Riasat Azmi and guitarist Sakib Manzur Zihan—have been residing overseas. 

For this specific gig, the lineup featured two new faces taking over vocal and guitar duties. However, founding member and lead guitarist Ifaz Abrar Reza confirmed that this temporary "touring arrangement" doesn't mean a permanent shift. The band is actively working on new music behind the scenes with its original founding members, proving that geographic distance isn't stopping their creative output.

"When it comes to writing songs and making music, we're still doing it with Riasat and Zihan. Yes, all these take place from behind [computer] screens virtually, and that's how we released 'Bhera'."

He further informed that the band is also working on a new single titled 'Shomoy' and they expect to release it by the end of July.

When Meghdol took the stage next, they chose to start with a few softer numbers, gradually leaning into a somber vibe. Unfortunately, the audience couldn't fully revel in the music because the band had to accommodate a couple of mandatory prayer breaks. While always appreciated, these start-stops are tough on the momentum of an hour-long set. 

Even though the crowd didn't seem entirely well-versed in Meghdol's rich discography from the bands earlier days, that didn't stop them from singing at the top of their lungs when the band closed with Hawa— their greatest hit in recent years for mainstream music listeners in Bangladesh.

It was during Karnival's set that the crowd really livened up, heavily re-energised by the band's upbeat, groovy numbers. It was not a performance without its fair share of difficulties, but as mentioned earlier, the bands pulled through irrespective of what was thrown at them. 

One aspect you can only truly appreciate when Karnival's live on stage is how vocalist Tinu Rashid takes it upon himself to sway towards intricate vocal harmonies. This adds a nuanced layer to their performance, creating a live sound distinct from their studio numbers.

"Not everyone in the band sings on stage, and since I was the one who composed the vocal harmonies in our studio numbers, it's easier for me to grab onto them and sing them on stage. It's something that we try to keep—the different vocal harmonies in our songs," said Tinu.

Karnival's set consisted mostly of tracks from their Mohomukti album, though they certainly sprinkled in songs from their earlier catalogue. One of the first songs of the night was Shada Kalo Rongdhanu, and the crowd-favourite romantic ballad Amar Shotto was seamlessly slipped into the setlist. Of course, they ended with arguably their most popular track, Bhrom.

The headliners, Nemesis, were up next. Owing to the fact that they were the final act of the night, they treated the crowd to an extended setlist comprising at least ten songs. It is fascinating to see how a band with four studio albums and over a quarter-century of music curates a setlist, as choosing from such a vast catalog must be incredibly difficult.

By the end of the night, however, everyone was jumping up and down—Nemesis certainly knows how to work a crowd. Throughout the set, vocalist Zohad Reza Chowdhury constantly engaged with the audience in a series of fun, amicable exchanges. The crowd cheered his name and demanded specific numbers, while Zohad playfully teased them by delaying their favourite tracks, before duly obliging and ending the set with everyone's wishes fulfilled.

"We were a bit jealous that we missed out on last year's 'Raincheck'. Ifaz actually suggested that we mix our setlist up this time round. But we also stuck to the basics and I'm glad the crowd stayed back late and it seems they did have fun," concluded Zohad.