The Harlem Shakes
In every band’s career there are nights so awful they become the stuff of legend. Biographies are filled them with. The Replacements made a career out of them. Mismatched billing, bad sound, antagonistic crowd: all suitable excuses. And while The Harlem Shakes are in their relative infancy, they’ve most likely faced their share of misguided frat party bookings. I’d venture a guess however that Thursday night at the 9:30 Club was one of its most harrowing to date.
The odds were stacked against the band from the very beginning. Opening for BellX1 might come with prestige and glory in Dublin, but that cachet does not translate to this side of the Atlantic. Couple that with its early set time- The Harlem Shakes took the stage promptly at 6:40- and the band was dealt a set of circumstances that felt more like a dress rehearsal or a glorified sound check than a proper show. How do you win over a crowd when it seems too early for a beer? The sparse crowd, around 30 if bartenders are included, seemed desperate to rally in the face of the apparent obstacles. And initially it looked as though the band was up to the task.
Opening with the triumphant “TFO,” the Shakes’ started strong, filling up the cavernous acoustics of the club, not getting drowning out. Having stopped through town only a few weeks ago supporting Tokyo Police Club, the songs off its still unreleased Technicolor Health already show signs of improvement live. The percussion sound clean and crisp and unlike at the Black Cat, its new wavy keyboards didn’t overpower the band’s lush melodies. Then, it all fell apart.
In what could have been the most uncomfortable 2 minutes I’ve endured at such a large venue, bassist Jose Soegaard experienced technical difficulties sonically gruesome enough that the entire band ceased playing for about 30 seconds. Dead silence. In a desperate attempt to rebound, lead singer Lexy Benaim offered up a rendition of Cats Stevens “Wild World,” only to realize he scarcely knew more than the chorus. In the absence of its bass player, who furiously turned knobs and shot the sound board exasperated looks, the band went into an airy rendition of “Strictly Game,” aborting its earlier attempts at “Nothing but Change Part II.” By the time the band regained its composure and began cracking Spinal Tap jokes , launching into “Sunlight,” they were out of time. Whether this will be the better year that Benaim proclaims on “Strictly Game” is anyone’s guess but let’s hope one of its triumphs is the band being allotted a proper headlining tour.
On my way out, a barrel-chested gentleman motioned to the sound booth to ask whether that was the worst band to ever play here. Clearly he was unfamiliar with the evening’s headliner.
MORE:
http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/music/listening-party-harlem-shakes/
Previously in Live DC:
- 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
- 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat
- 2/7: LiveDC: Demetri Martin @ Warner Theatre
God loves a cheerful giver.
They're playing another show @ DC9 in April. Let's hope for the best.
Hey there's a typo in the third paragraph. I'm so embarrassed for you, the entire article is thereby rendered utterly worthless!
am i missing the typo?
no, it is a general comment at people who only comment at random misspellings instead of actual content.
at least-i hope it is.
i am sad that i was oblivious to the BYT meta-commentary.
Svetlana is too kind-hearted to see my sarcastic point. You have taken one awkward moment in a show and made it the centerpiece of your review, which otherwise gives me no insight into what happened at the show or what the band sounded like. Much like a commenter who fixates on a typo rather than trying to understand the article. Is the metaphor. Which I am making.
that's some subtle subtext, you've got there Pedro. Next time I'll have to use my decoder ring to figure out all of that from your two sentences.
secondly, this incident I wrote about WAS there set. As an opener with a 25 minute, 7 song set I assure you that it was hard to come away with much else. Next time I'll make sure to chronicle how old everyone was and what they were wearing.
Cool, or you talk about the music, up to you.
Pedro, I'm pretty baffled by the fact that you can't see how the band's music was mentioned throughout this piece but I know you're trying to be an atagonistic dick and leave it at that. It is worth noting that I saw this band play the exact same set two weeks ago so in the effort not to repeat myself to the BYT population at large, perhaps I didn't chronicle every note to an extent that would have given you the full show-going experience. you'll be happy to know that I'll be in New York for their upcoming show at the DC9 allowing some other intrepid BYT writer to convey their thoughts and therefore making room for another hopefully more fully-realized analysis.
i'm not trying to be a dick for its own sake, but for a purpose. i think youre a talented writer but i disagree with your focus in this review. not that it is an unusual one, many blog writers choose to spotlight the gossip of a concert rather than either analyze it or experience it sincerely. just felt like it needed pointing out that you and this site could do better. have fun in New York!
pencil fight!
can't wait for you to bash my review next week, Peter.
as you wish