Final frontier
Jah Hills shoots for the stars with planetarium gig
Most Hallelujah the Hills fans enjoy the Boston band in its natural habitat: a dirty rock club crushed with sweaty, ecstatic bodies shouting out every chorus.
On Thursday, these fans will have to adapt to a more brainy setting when Hallelujah the Hills plays two shows at the Charles Hayden Planetarium inside the Museum of Science.
“They approached us, and of course we wanted to do it — as if we'd say, `No, this planetarium isn't to our liking,' ” band leader Ryan Walsh said. “We could have jammed in seven shows around New England this summer or focus on just this. It's been a lot of planning, but I think we made the right choice.”
If you don't know Jah Hills, the group combines the mania of the Ramones, the sly wit of Pavement and the experimentation of the Pixies. Their music doesn't really fit the Pink Floyd-laser-light-show planetarium thing. Knowing this, Walsh designed an atypical set for his band.
“We'll have (Red Sox organist) Josh Kantor, (singer-songwriters) Will Dailey and Marissa (Nadler) helping us out, plus we'll have Dave Curry on viola and choir join in,” Walsh said. “We basically have a small orchestra behind us.”
The combo of local music and sonic creativity was just what MOS Adult Programs Coordinator James Wetzel was looking for to add something unexpected to the summer programming lineup.
“It's exciting that Hallelujah is going in a slightly different direction than normally, relying on a more stripped-down feel with an expanded group of guest musicians,” he said. “I was always confident we were going to create a very special collaboration, but seeing them under the dome for the first rehearsal blew my mind and gave me chills.”
The performance is part of the museum's Thursday night summer series that uses the planetarium to host a variety of entertainment: improv comedy, trivia nights, science fiction films and rock 'n' roll. (Next up: ImprovBoston on Aug. 24 and a double feature of “Alien” and “Aliens” on Aug. 31.)
Live rock at the planetarium is unique but, let's face it, you'll be coming for that laser light show, and with good reason. Unlike a pre-recorded show, Jah Hills and four planetarium animators will interact during the show. There will a give and take between music and visuals.
“We take in the songs and edit the visuals in real time,” animator Jason Fletcher said. “We pull stuff from our library and build some original animation. We are just trying to match the tone of each song and fit the mood with the audience.”