Hail to the digits. The 9:30 Club came through in fine form on December 23rd. Despite the fact that 90% of DC’s residents get the hell outta the nation’s capital come the holidays, the venue put on a great show with four awesome, and mostly local, bands.
The Blackbells were the first of the four – hailing from faraway Brooklyn, New York. I’d seen the band perform once before at DC9, and remembered them as pint-sized energy bombs (for some reason the musicians all look diminutive on stage). They did not betray memory. The musicians put their all into the show, complete with guitar-waving, stage-kneeling, and general rocking-out. They remind me a good deal of the artists of my first-ever CD – Oasis –and I generally enjoy their sound. Try This is Home if you’re looking for a sample.
Next came the Silver Liners, a five-man band from Washington, DC. First thing’s first: kudos to the unassuming, mussy-haired, glasses-wearing keyboardist who was balling in a BRIGHT teal/emerald muscle shirt. As my concert companion, Ursula, remarked: “Dude looks good in gem-tones. NBD.” Hats off to you, Sir. The band was great – my favorite songs included American Girl and Just Like the Rest. The Silver Liners also made an attempt to cover a Vampire Weekend track which didn’t sound quite right, but it was still fun to hear. Another thing to say about the band: they were pretty exceptional in terms of the members’ instrumental flexibility. They not only switched instruments throughout the show but also had an interesting set-up with two drummers. One drummer had the more conventional drum-set, and the other was jamming on a set that included all types of percussive tools, including a tambourine and a cowbell-esque device. Whatever the exact combination was, it sounded good.
Unexpected highlight of the night was definitely The Static. Again, to quote my ever-articulate bestie Urs: “O. M. G.” The band claimed it was their debut performance but the impeccable showmanship they displayed honestly made me doubt their claim. They were sooooooooo good. The lead singer sported a mo-hawk that was literally a foot tall and his dance moves were, for lack of a better, word stunning. It helped that he was dressed in skin tight jeans, a mid-ruff shirt, and…. Wait for it…. Snake-skin boots. Win, win, and win. I also <3’ed the variety of costumes on stage – apparently a few of the band members got different memos re: dress code. The keyboardist came on stage in a suit tie, eventually stripping to a muscle shirt and suspenders. One guitarist was rocking out in a very suave looking brown leather jacket, creating an almost Euro-feel. Loved loved loved. The band performed several great original songs and amazing covers, including songs by Bob Marley and the ever classy LMFAO – they also incorporated a costume change and a Santa guest appearance into the show. In super unfortunate news, I cannot find a single link to either the band’s website or songs – so all I can do is wish them luck in getting their act out of DC and around the country.
The headliners were next. The Dance Party is an awesome band – I’d also seen them perform at DC9, and again, my memory and expectations were not disappointed. The lead singer just defies all physical norms – being probably over 6 and a half feet tall and maybe 50 pounds (10 of those pounds being his beautiful blond hair). He’s always all over the stage, channeling Michael Jackson, singing falsetto, dancing, just generally dominating the space. His guitarists and drummer are also super solid performers and they rocked their way through several of their well-known hits, including my favorite: Pretty Girl. It was also cool to see this local band give some loving to their friends in the crowd: lots of high-fives and thumbs-up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_aif7RFNTY
All in all, a great way to rock out of normal life and enter the super laid back-food coma state of the holidays.