Before Sunday night, my only exposure to Mates of State came from their contributions to numerous episodes of “This American Life.” Hearing them in bite-sized pieces, I assumed they were simply an innocuous, tepid folk duo. Boy, was I wrong.
Opening with the incomparably peppy “The ReArranger,” husband and wife duo Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner had the sparse crowd nodding heads and grinning--a picture that lasted throughout their ceaselessly upbeat and spirited set. While promoting their Summer 2010 release Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), the show also served to workshop a handful of new songs, with Hammel promising a new album by the start of the new year.
While the older hits like “Ha Ha” excited the crowd the most, Mates of State performed their classics, new material and covers, alike, with remarkable confidence and contagious joy. Ending their cover of Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End,” Hammel put down his drumsticks, closed his eyes and belted out his “woah”s while Gardner perfectly harmonized, threw back her head and strummed her ukulele with sweet sincerity. It was just one of dozens of moments that exhibited their perfectly complementary and seemingly flawless performance-- Hammel on drums, Gardner on keys, harmonizing in every way.
With over a decade of performing under their belt, Mates of State have earned some mega fans, a group of which brought the band a cake in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle, a reference to the love song “Jigsaw” from 2008’s Re-Arrange Us. Though not on the planned setlist, they graciously performed the song, which prompted the dedicated fans to blow confetti in the air. Despite being veterans of the stage, the duo seemed awed by the affectionate display, and others in the audience thanked the beaming fans after the show.
To close the night, the band invited opener Oh Land to the stage for a group sing-a-long/drum-a-long of "Goods (All in your Head)," the combined six musicians letting loose, while the fans let loose even more confetti. It was a perfectly sweet end to a sweet night.
Opening the evening was Copenhagen-to-Brooklyn transplant Oh Land, the performing name of Nanna Oland Fabricius. Accompanied by a percussionist and playing a self-described “homemade one-woman-band music box” adorned with balloons, the Christie Brinkley look-a-like proved that there’s room for more than one gorgeous, Scandinavian dance songstress. Her current single, “Sun of a Gun,” with it’s throbbing beat and playful vocals had the crowd dancing, a remarkable feat for a small Sunday crowd. Another dance-worthy song, “Perfection,” sparkled with a sultry beat and lilting vocals reminiscent of CocoRosie. Considering her instantly catchy tunes and warm stage presence, we expect to see a lot more from her soon.
Stream and download Oh Land tracks here.
