Yellow Ostrich to play 1st gig in Bloomington

Indie rock band Yellow Ostrich will perform at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Bishop.

Tickets are on sale at the Bishop, Landlocked Music or online for $8.

Additionally, IU students can purchase tickets at WIUX for $5 with a student ID.

Singer-songwriter Strands of Oak will also perform.

This will be Yellow Ostrich’s first Bloomington gig. The band formed in New York two years ago led by lead singer and guitarist Alex Schaaf.

Originally a one-man show, Schaaf added multi-instrumentalist Jon Natchez and drummer Michael Tapper after moving to New York in August 2010.

The group has been together ever since, Schaaf said.

Schaaf, who said he prefers writing to live performance, said he typically writes the basics of the band’s songs and sends that to his band mates for input and suggestions.

“The writing part is the most fun because it’s pure creativity and coming up with something from scratch,” Schaaf said.

The band has performed at a number of venues and festivals, including the Sasquatch and Austin City Limits festivals.

However, Schaaf said the most exhilarating experience performing came during a show in South Africa.

“An elephant went crazy and ended up knocking over the whole stage,” he said. “Thankfully, no one got hurt. The elephant was a little embarrassed.”

The band’s latest album, “Strange Land,” was the first it made as a trio.

It was well-received by critics, receiving a 6.8 out of 10 from Pitchfork Media and seven out of 10 from Spin Magazine. The band’s newest work can be found on the EP “Ghost.”

Schaaf said while writing and recording the new music, he found inspiration from an unlikely source.

“I watched a lot of ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch,’” he said. “I just started, and I couldn’t stop. I think I watched the whole series twice through, then started writing the new songs.”

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Schaaf said he encourages all who like “rock and roll with a hint of lemon” to check it out.

— Carolyn Crowcroft