I’d had a terrible day at work, my kickball team lost its game, it was freezing out. When I got to the Black Cat, I was stuck standing behind a pole, I didn’t have time to buy a drink, and I was hungry.
Yellow Ostrich STILL rocked my socks.
First, they were punctual. On at 10:02 with a set-time of 10:00. Not bad, Guys. Second they were so adorable. The lead singer literally sprinted on stage, said two words of welcome, and then the three of them just jammed with smiles on their faces. Third, they started off the set with my favorite song, Whale, which instantly elevated my mood exponentially (side note: kudos to bands who start off with the strong, crowd-pleaser. I definitely prefer that strategy over the groups that make you wait til the very end to hear your favorite. Sometimes you just can’t stay for the encore – especially when you observe midnight bedtimes like this girl – which makes those types of shows so disappointing).
Then, I made my fourth, most exciting discovery of the night: I love ALL of Yellow Ostrich’s songs. They have such a good repertoire! The ones that really stuck out were Marathon Runner, Elephant King, The Shakedown, and I Got No Time For You. The band sounded great live, but even now, listening to them as I type this review, I’m realizing how quality their sound is live or recorded.
Finally, I just want to say a little something for Yellow Ostrich’s stage presence – which is worth paying for (don’t just content yourself with the recordings). The lead singer was the main talker, but he kept his banter to a minimum. However, he did prove witty – responding to a fan’s “Take off your shirt!!” without missing a beat by saying: “Maybe later. And if you take off yours. Actually, if all of you take off yours. Do we really want that?” In addition, the band didn’t make us hang out forever for the encore – the turn-around was a few minutes and they regaled us with a great Talking Heads cover. They were also humble enough to thank us for making last night’s show one of the few Yellow Ostrich has sold out… to-date. If their showing at Black Cat is any indicator, it definitely won’t be the last show this band sells out. I see big things for these guys – well-deserved big things.
Yellow Ostrich Tour Dates:
5/27 – Sasquatch Music Festival – George, WA
6/16 – Plush – St. Louis, MO
6/17 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
6/19 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
6/20 – The National – Richmond, VA
6/21 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
6/22 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
6/23 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
6/24 – Brillowbox – Pittsburgh, PA
6/26 – Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
6/27 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
6/28 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
6/29 – Beachman Theatre – Orlando, FL
6/30 – Bardot – Miami, FL
8/3-5 – Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL