Brightest Young Things

all photos: Pat Jarrett

I have been smitten with the last two Blonde Redhead albums so I have to admit I enter the club with expectations running high. There seems to be a similar sense to those around me as well. We are ready to engaged/entralled/en-something anythinged.

School of Seven Bells, the new band with Benjamin Curtis of Secret Machines opened things up. Fronted by the Deheza twins (keeping the twin theme for the evening) I had to admit that they looked perfect and were helped greatly by the light show going on around them. The club was filling up quickly and free paninis were making the rounds (tasty.) I couldn’t help but notice that the crowd seemed to lack a visual style I was hoping for and the preponderance of elf boots on the ladies wouldn’t make sense for another hour. As the Bells churned out sub standard techno with a world music flavor, I was immediately faced with the disappointment of very little guitar from Mr. Curtis and deeply rhythmic music coming entirely from the dual computers on stage and no live drumming. A few songs in, I couldn’t help but wonder why they had three different people singing and yet no counter melodies in sight. Only on their final number did they break this trance to any effect. What we were left with was an ethnic version of Curve – only without any good songs. Ugh. To the audience’s credit, they seemed as bored with it all as I was.

As the between set shuffle started I positioned myself squarely in the middle of the room to get the full effect when Blonde Redhead took the stage. The shaggy-haired fella behind me was debating with his girlfriend about the authenticity of the PBR jacket in front of us and then launched into a tale of all of the compliments he had received on his Thrasher hat this week. The first was from the cat checking ID’s at Stetsons and the second was from “his” barista this morning.

I moved.

Bounding on to the stage with an awkward wave, the Pace twins, in alternating black (Amedeo) and white (Simone) shirts, and Kaz in a short baby doll dress and the type of elf boots (aha!) only tall lanky Japanese girls can pull off, open with “Heroine” and establish the presentation immediately: lots of canned parts filling out the sound and what will prove to be a masterful drumming exhibition from Simone. It is nice to hear the beeps and squeaks in the guitar and keyboard work adding a human element to the show and you can truly appreciate the interaction of how they play simple melodies just a little off kilter as a unit. The band also drench every last note in reverb to the point that the vocals are nearly reduced to a musical instrument rather than the words themselves.

“Spring and by Summer Fall” picks up the pace after a meandering interlude transitioning between songs (cleverly hiding the backing tracks as they do throughout the set) and somehow builds in even more reverb. “The Dress” highlight’s Kaz gyrating in counter circles at the keyboard forcing out her two-fingered melody and a raspy delivery. Building tension, the band is barely lit with only the back of the drums emanating white as she winds up and down kicking her heels out in an awkward knock-kneed twist. As on record, “SW” follows with its odd Sgt. Pepper’s break almost degenerating into jamming.

It is becoming obvious that the crowd wants to move, to shake or at least shuffle. The music complies but it doesn’t happen. It is as if everyone in the room, both on stage and on the floor, is too self-conscious (save a foursome at the front who have been fist pumping since the first note.) Spurred on by the drumming and occasional rock star pose (that seems out of place) the twins continue to push yet the crowd won’t pull.

Kaz is doing her walk/dance as the intro to “Equus” glides in with a thin sound until she doubles to the backing track and Amedeo strums his bass to huge bottom heavy effect. As the song fades a lone cry of “we love you” goes out from the thick pile of art school kids on the floor. It is answered from the stage with just the tiny plink of the keyboard to ensure it is on. That they follow with a seven-year old song that half the crowd claps during the false finish only serves to highlight the schism. The place is too full for something like that to happen.

Despite a great deal of effort from both the band and the audience, a connection has not truly been established yet.

Hypnotically bringing them back with the slight rock of “Falling Man” and it’s big dripping cascades of guitar. It is starting to happen. The strobe kicks in and heads start to bob. When the kick ass drum-break hits the release begins. I am starting to get lost and I’m not the only one. The light show dies down and the stage is oddly full of white light. The place erupts.

Everyone talks for a second afterwards like they need a drink/smoke/pill.

When they move into “23” I no longer give a shit about the backing tracks, the quirky dance or the seven song tease it took to get here. We are here. Simone nods his head in time as if it is the first chance he has had to hear the chorus and he simply can’t resist. It’s all drums and a wall of guitar with the vocals way out in front where they belong.

They finish and I wish they would walk off. The point has been made.

Not quite but one more and they exit with Simone rightfully drawing the most applause.

They are clearly returning but people are starting to leave and I feel like they might have the right idea. It isn’t going to get better. We have now entered the slow ease to slumber post sex. It is worth seeing the continued syncopated workout behind the kit and hearing “Melody” and “Elephant Woman” but the climax has clearly passed. Another quick exit, a return and then soon they wave shyly to the audience and are truly gone and we are left feeling like we had just engaged in a frustratingly polite argument but glad we finally had a chance to say what we came to say.

Previously in Live DC:

• 2/14: LiveDC: Sharon Van Etten/ Shearwater @ Black Cat
• 2/14: LiveDC: Die Antwoord @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: George Clinton & The Parliament-Funkadelic @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: Veronica Falls/ Brilliant Colors @ Black Cat
• 2/13: LIVE DC: Steve Aoki/ Datsik/ Alvin Risk @ Fillmore
• 2/13: LiveDC: The Darkness @ 930 Club
• 2/9: LiveDC: Theophilus London @ 930 Club
• 2/9: Best Weekend Bets
• 2/8: LiveDC: Kathleen Edwards @ 930 Club
• 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat