One of the loudest thoughts in my mind upon heading home from T.T. the Bear's on Friday night was this: I don't see enough shows. Friday night's lineup was nothing out of the ordinary, as far as lineups go. By that, I mean there wasn't a rap duo followed by a grunge (is grunge even still a genre?) band. Instead, it went as follows: A bearded folk singer sitting on a pink chair alone on stage with only his guitar. He plays it well. His voice is nice, too. What's this guys name again? Something Crosby. His name is Ryan Lee Crosby, and he makes a perfect opener-opener. Soon, he'll be the opener, and one day, I don't doubt, he'll be headlining, even though his songs won't necessarily blow your mind.
Next up: Air Waves. They're from New York, right? Oh, so that's why the drummer is wearing a Yankees hat in Boston. And if (early) The Strokes is a good representation of the NYC rock scene, then so is Air Waves. Fronted by a female singer who also plays electric guitar, Air Waves is a very straight-forward four-piece rock band. Their playing is tight and refined, though still messy enough to be good, dirty rock-and-roll. You'll want to dance, or at least nod your head a bit while drumming with your hands on your hips. And they obviously enjoy what they do, which is all well and good for an opening act. But if Air Waves is looking to break into headliner status, they're going to need to step it up. A great song needs a great A, a great B, and a great C. Air Waves has the former two strongly built into their tunes, but each one lacks a C altogether. You wait for the C, but it never comes. It's like when you order buffalo wings, and they give you the wings and some celery sticks, but no ranch dip.
I had never heard of the headlining band, Slow Club. If I hadn't made it out to T.T.'s on Friday night, it might have been a while before I'd heard of them. But there's no doubt in my mind that eventually, I'd have heard of them. T.T.'s is a relatively small venue, and I'm sure that if Slow Club were playing on their own side of the Atlantic (they're from the UK) they'd be on a much larger stage, at a much larger venue, playing for a much larger audience. They definitely have the raw talent and energy to do so.
Slow Club is essentially two people; a guy and a girl. Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor, respectively. Watson plays guitar and Taylor plays guitar and drums. Both write amazingly catchy, sometimes mind-boggling songs. Both sing said songs. Both are incredibly talented. Yet, playing live a band like Slow Club couldn't pull it off without the help of a full band, at least not if they'd expect to inspire the same emotions in their audience as they did last Friday night. So they made the smart move and enlisted other musicians, namely a drummer and a bassist. And as if that wasn't enough, occasionally Taylor would hop on the drums, and the drummer would play the guitar. It was rather fun to watch.
Slow Club played an inspiring set as each song was completely danceable, charming, and somehow felt different from the last. I fell in love with Slow Club on Friday night; I knew by the end of the second song. Nothing they played subsequently caused a fall out. The only disappointing thing about the set: when they came back out for the encore, they played just one song. I don't believe I speak only for myself when I say that we all wanted more. Maybe Rebecca Taylor knew it too, which is why after putting her guitar down, she ran over to Charles Watson's mic and began to sing the chorus of...I know that song. I know that song. What the heck is that song? "Bust the lock off the front door. Once you're outside, you won't want to hide anymore." (Then, in her thick British accent, she asks, "Do you guys know the words?" Watson joins in, sharing his mic with his bandmate): A handful of people in the crowd sang along as best they could, wanting to participate in the impromptu singalong with Slow Club. But the song was only an acquaintance. Perhaps everyone either recognized it or had never heard it. Either way, it was a great display of the personality of Slow Club, and the people received it well. This was special.
It drove me crazy, though, that I couldn't put my finger on that song. I had to ask her what it was. So I walked up to Rebecca at the merch table, and I asked. And with her accent and a smile, she replied in a tone that suggested I should not have had any trouble at all knowing that song, "Grandaddy!" She was right; I should have known right away. When I got home, I immediately purchased Slow Club's latest album, Paradise, as well as their EP, Let's Fall Back In Love. If I had cash on me at the show, I'd have paid the $5 extra for each cd at the merch table, which the members of Slow Club ran themselves after their set. For fans of Tilly & The Wall, Mates of State, Vampire Weekend, and some of the Beatles' later work, get a hold of some Slow Club music.
pick up a copy of Paradise and Let's Fall Back In Love here!
On the west coast, or Australia? Enjoy.
February 22 - Empty Bottle, Chicago
February 26 - Perth International Arts Festival, Perth, Australia
February 29 - Beach Road Hotel, Sydney, Australia
March 01 - GoodGod, Sydney, Australia
March 02 - The Workers Club, Melbourne, Australia
March 03 - Ed Castle, Adelaine, Australia
March 06 - Media Club, Vancouver
March 07 - Sunset Tavern, Seattle
March 08 - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
March 10 - Brick & Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco
March 11 - Echoplex, Los Angeles
March 12 - Casbah, San Diego
