By Ethan Li
In Fall of 2023, I made the choice to buy tickets to see Elephant Gym in San Francisco, finally securing a spot to my long overdue first concert. But what even is an “Elephant Gym,” and what is up with their genre being labeled as “math rock?” Before I answer these questions, let me set the scene.
After an afternoon strolling the streets of the city with classmates Haley Chu and Mingnah Ng, Mingnah and I landed at The Great American Music Hall, an ornate and gilded concert venue opened in 1907. After buying some merch, we quickly staked our spot on the floor, incidentally standing next to two speakers and underneath a third. The wait was long as we discussed various topics such as the ongoing Oscars, making eye contact with the creepy man behind us, and whether or not we would become the next victims of the next crowd crush. We even saw some fellow “kids” (all attendees under 21 were easily identifiable with a stamped hand) replying to a discussion post on Canvas: it was truly a gathering of all types of people. Soon, the lights began to dim, and the opening act came out.
Before getting into the meat of the concert, now is a good time to discuss math rock. According to Wikipedia, math rock is a “style of alternative and indie rock,” often including “complex, atypical rhythmic structures, counterpoint, odd time signatures, and extended chords.” If those words don’t make much sense, you aren’t alone. Although I heavily shy away from calling myself knowledgeable in music theory, I would summarize math rock as highly structured, not easily hummable, and ever-changing. It’s not a genre I find easy to describe, but even still I would highly recommend people check it out. Not only is it interesting to listen to every time I hit play, seeing math rock performed live amazes me with its difficulty and complexity.
Back to the concert: after an anticipatory hour, the opening act, Standards, launched into their set. Although their drummer wasn’t able to go to the concert, Marcos Mena, the lead guitarist, still put on a wonderful show. A more toned-down set than usual, the intimacy allowed me to truly know Mena as an artist; he even launched into a cover of the classic “Super Mario Bros. Theme Song,” delighting the audience with a familiar song.
After a quick changeover, Elephant Gym walked onto the stage. And the crowd (including Mingnah and I) really did go wild. Elephant Gym is a math rock band from Kaohsiung, Taiwan founded in 2012, consisting of siblings KT and Tell Chang on bass and guitar respectively and childhood friend Chia-Chin Tu on drums. Tu also designed the art for the band, surprising Mingnah and I as we admired their whimsical yet sophisticated graphics. As for their name, “elephant” signifies their bass-focused melodies, and “gym” (as in gymnastics) refers to the agile and flexible rhythms. The trio performed beautifully, filling the space with not only their music but also pure passion for the art. Tell’s charming playing and singing filled the venue; KT’s impressive tapping and exuberant energy displayed her strong passion for performing; and Tu’s exciting drumming set a consistent baseline for the other members to work off of. Although I am very uneducated about instruments and music in general, Elephant Gym’s instruments all blended perfectly together. Adding to our delight, halfway through the concert, KT announced two special guests: flautist Yu-Tai Cheng and saxophonist Julian Chou, both from the Kaohsiung City Wind Orchestra. The addition of wind instruments lent a unique sound to the concert that I wasn’t expecting to hear, and it truly elevated the experience for me.
At the end of the day, Elephant Gym’s immense passion filled me with so much admiration and joy. During the concert, KT described how the band’s main mission is to spread joy and happiness. Citing the current political tensions Taiwan finds itself entrapped in, the band hopes to bring an exuberant energy to the world in their time performing. KT described how, even though a lot of their songs are angry, releasing the anger into the music helps them feel better as a form of catharsis. As I walked away from the incredible concert, I knew that was true for me as well: all my negative emotions and stress had been released through my cheering and clapping, leaving me feeling amazing.
To conclude, I would say that the best long-term impact this concert has had on me was introducing so many of my friends to Elephant Gym. Mingnah Ng, who came to the show with me, enjoyed the “loose and casual conversations between the audience and [the band members].” She praised their “passion to create music,” stating it was clear they “enjoyed/cherished every moment they were onstage.” Junior Jonah Martinez (who also helped me in writing this article by informing me about guitar/bass technique) thinks the “diversity” in their albums is “pretty cool,” admiring both the “bass-centric songs” and those with “solely piano and vocals.” Sophomore Alyssa Lau intelligently praises the band’s “characteristic polyrhythms and atypical stopping,” again pointing out both the “rhythmic…guitar and drum ensembles” and “unexpectedly jazzy elements like piano.” To conclude, she summarizes by praising the band as “very cool 👍👍👍.” I highly recommend that readers listen to Elephant Gym (their 2019 Audiotree session is a good starting point). My first concert was a magical experience, and I’m excited to listen to more music, see more concerts, and introduce more of my friends to some great tunes.