Concert Pick of the Week: DC Record Fair

DC Record Fair
Sunday, May 23rd
The Black Cat, $2

12-6pm

This Sunday The Black Cat is hosting the annual DC Record fair for all the vinyl lovers in the district. Come indulge in the rows and rows of alphabetized crates as you search for that one find that brightens up your Sunday.


Also, there's going to be a a full service bar and food, so if you get caught with one too many Whitney Houston vinyls, blame it on the booze. And if that's not enough (I know how greedy you get) there's going to be a stellar lineup of DJ's scri-ribbit-ratching all afternoon so you can boogie as you buy.

It must be summer.

Concert Review: Givers at the Black Cat, 5/7

Givers @ Black Cat

May 7, 2010

Louisiana band GIVERS returned to the Black Cat for the third time in their brief career Friday night, this time as the headliner on the main stage. The opening band, DC-based Stripmall Ballads, brought some Southern twang to the show, getting the crowd going with their solid Americana music. They played a tight set, but their country rock was only enough to drag some of the crowd away from the bar. As GIVERS took the stage, the crowd packed in and got ready for what was sure to be an exciting evening.

As usual, GIVERS came out with a whole lot of chocolate-induced energy (see interview for details), and got the crowd moving along with them right from the opening song, “Sneaky.” After the exciting opener, they played “Saw You First” and “Meantime," off of their debut EP, as much of the crowd danced and sang along. The rest of their set contained about seven more songs from their upcoming debut album, with standouts including “Noche Nada” and “Words,” and the remaining two songs from their EP. There was a clear Dirty Projectors influence in their sound, with guitar riffs that could have been straight from “Bitte Orca” and even some brief hocketing between singers Lamson and Guarisco. GIVERS also played a song that female lead singer Teddy Lamson had written just a couple weeks prior, which they had never rehearsed, but their improvisation came together quite well, a testament to their talent as musicians. They closed with an aberration from their typical style, turning the distortion up to 10 and rocking out with a head-banger called “Wanna Want It,” demonstrating their versatility. Finally, they answered the crowd’s plea for “one more song” with “Ceiling of Plankton.”

GIVERS love WGTB! Check out that sticker.

This was my second time seeing GIVERS, and they have proven to be one of the most fun live acts I have seen. They bring so much energy to every show that it’s impossible not to want to jump around with joy along with them. GIVERS use a whole arsenal of instruments, and everything from Dirty Projector-esque guitar riffs, psychedelic synth lines, tambourines, and ukuleles add an interesting layer to their songs. Yet, they don’t get lost in these complex sounds, mainly because of the strong rhythm section driven by Kirby Campbell’s drums, Josh LeBlanc’s bass, and Lamson’s percussion. The rhythm, with elements of afro-beat, keeps the songs moving forward in a danceable and compelling direction. With influences ranging from the Dirty Projectors and Animal Collective, to jazz, to afro-beat, the GIVERS’ sound is a unique and dynamic amalgam of these styles that is catchy upon first listen and layered enough to remain interesting after many.

Although the music itself is enough reason to love GIVERS, they are also great people with a whole lot of love and joy to, well, give. At one point in the show, an enthusiastic fan yelled out, “We worship you as gods,” and lead singer Taylor Guarisco replied, “We worship you guys as gods, too.” This kind of mutual adoration seems rare today, but GIVERS truly appreciate their fans and just people in general. And if you see GIVERS, you will undoubtedly appreciate them, and their music, and the unbridled joy they bring to everyone around. When you hear their music, it is not just a pleasing sound, it is a feeling; it brings energy, motivation, inspiration and an urge to celebrate the life we have.

Check out GIVERS' EP on Myspace for some great summer jamzz and get ready for their debut album due out late summer/early fall.

(opening band, DC-based Stripmall Ballads)

-- Jared Iversen, "Jive Talkin'"

Concert Review: Beach House at the Black Cat

Beach House @ The Black Cat
Friday March 26, 2010
w/ Bachelorette

Victoria Legrand is the ultimate band girl. And I would like to be her friend. No, more than friends. I would like to be her best friend. We could exchange BFF necklaces, paint each other's nails and make friendship bracelets together. And at the end of the day, it would be understood that it's one of those uneven friendships, where one person (me) is constantly idolizing and looking up at the other (VLG, which by the way is the nickname I have assigned her). It's likely that our moms are friends and her mom forces her to hang out with me. But she does it willingly, because she's too cool to care and has her eyes set on the cosmos rather than the pettiness of friendships.

When Beach House took the stage at the Black Cat Friday night, all eyes were on Legrand as she stood front and center over her synth, shaking her shaggy mane and wailing like a loosed phenom. She is a commanding presence to witness, and her live act is only slightly more unsteady than her solid-as-a-rock poise on Teen Dream. Vocally, Legrand hovers androgynously somewhere between a banshee and a phone-sex operator, with inevitable Stevie Nicks comparisons-- and like Nicks she leads her band with a certain relaxed authority and great bangs. Even with excessive reverb coming through the mic, some looping of vocal tracks and drums playing over pre-recorded drums, Beach House’s sound never seemed contrived; this is partly due to Legrand’s naturally booming voice, which retained an organic quality despite the effects. It was just authentic enough to recreate that surround-sound, total-immersion effect without blatantly replicating the album echo by echo. (more after the jump)

Concert Review (and Interview!): Blood Feathers at the Black Cat

Blood Feathers @ The Black Cat

Washington, DC

March 4, 2010

I caught Blood Feathers on the final night of their two-day tour through the East Coast, fresh off of their premiere show the night before in Philadelphia. The band played at the Black Cat with Tough Shits and Seas, to a crowd of Blood Feathers enthusiasts—lead singer Ben Dickey’s mother, as well as other family and friends were prominent among the crowd on Thursday night. I chatted with the band backstage before their set about their newest album, band dynamics, first experiences with Urban Outifitters’ shameless self-promotion, and some special advice for Georgetown students, among other things.

(find out after the jump!)

Concert Pick of the Week: Morning Benders

The Morning Benders @ The Black Cat

March 11, 2010

We're on Spring Break over here, so posting will be light this week, but if you're still in the District you won't want to miss the pleasant grooves and sunny indie-pop of The Morning Benders when they take the stage at the Black Cat Thursday. On the heels of the release of their latest EP, Grain of Salt, this band is gaining fans for their three-part harmonies and gentle surround-sound vibe.