One sign that you’re getting old: when you still think of a group as a “new band” even though they’re already on their third album. Yes, even though The Drums just released their latest, Encyclopedia, on September 23, their 2010 debut still seems like practically a new release to me. I’m old. I also realized that my enthusiasm for this show went down somewhat when the venue was changed from The Danforth Music Hall to Adelaide Hall, ever so slightly less convenient to get to by subway. Old and lazy. Now please excuse me while I go listen to my 8 track cassettes and 78 rpm records now. Because I am old.
As I entered Adelaide Hall, Brooklyn-based band Beverly were already in the midst of their opening set and if I happened to be feeling old, their ’90s influenced sound at least had me safely within my comfort zone. While they may have gained some attention for the involvement of Frankie Rose on their Kanine Records released debut Careers, singer/guitarist Drew Citron would seem to be the mastermind behind Beverly’s fuzzed out, shoegaze pop sound. Definitely a band to keep an eye out for.
As they took to the stage, it was clear that The Drums have a fairly dedicated following who were eager to see them play. The show may have been downgraded to the Adelaide Hall, but a smaller venue with the crowd packed in more tightly likely worked to the band’s advantage. In return for being such an enthusiastic crowd, singer Jonathan Pierce promised a nice healthy, generous set and they delivered, playing for roughly an hour. The band put on an entertaining, engaging performance, with emphasis on the word “performance.” In some ways, Pierce almost seems as if he’s playing a character up on the stage, from his odd enunciation of the words “thank you” to his affected dance moves. But hey, it works, and who am I to argue with something that works?