BrightestYoungThings: LiveDC: Loose Lips/ Lightfoot/ Paperhaus/ Ugly Purple Sweater @ Black Cat

all words: Chas Guy
all photos: Nick Balleza

Jessica, lead singer of Lightfoot, described the event as her “prom night.” The night did have a few characteristics of a prom night: drunken tomfoolery, music, and even a slow dance opportunity. Most prom nights, however, do not have four talented bands playing for a crowd of swaying souls.

Paperhaus started the night off with some warm sounds for a cold and windy night. There was even a song sung in Russian and as expected I couldn’t understand a word of it. Heads still nodded though and all was well. Paperhaus is a great group of solid musicians. It is always refreshing to see band members switching up instruments during the show.

As Paperhaus was ending on a very dramatic and extended blues song that made you just want more, people started to get geared up for Ugly Purple Sweater. More and more started to dance as Ugly Purple Sweater took the stage. It was great to see people dancing and not just focused on the band. It is live music, after all, which doesn’t necessarily mean you have to watch the band like a hawk the whole time in order to gain the experience desired.

The audience was even able to gain some free advice from the lead guitarist of UPS. He informed us, “don’t cheat on your girlfriend while in a foreign country.” Apparently the lesson need not be learned first hand. The advice did not stand-alone and was appropriately accompanied by a dreary drinking song in order to really deliver the message in full.

The saddest part of the night was hands-down that it was Loose Lips' last show! It wasn’t all tears, though. The sadness was more like that of an excited sadness. The guys from Loose Lips left it all on the stage Friday night as they should have. I mean, why half-ass it?

There were some die-hard Loose Lips fans in attendance, which was good to see, but the night was all about Lightfoot and their release of Scarlet Sails, the reaching of an important stepping-stone as this band progresses forward.

The EP was performed in its entirety, which now makes it hard to go back and listen to the digital version. I am terribly spoiled after hearing it live. For a minute, Black Cat seemed to be transformed into a country-western bar as Lightfoot performed “Caged Bird,” my personal favorite off the EP. There may or may not have been a tear rolling down the scruffy face of the man standing next to me. Nothing a beer couldn’t fix, though.

The band finished up their set with a cover of Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That,” which is the song I wish was put on the 7” vinyl, but hey, that’s ok. Lightfoot was then called out for a much deserved two-song encore and the group could not have been more appreciative towards the audience and the rest of the bands who performed.

It is safe to say that Lightfoot’s prom night was a success. No clue on who in the band got lucky that night, but as far as the musical performance went it was total success.