BrightestYoungThings: Live DC: Smoosh & Tokyo

all photos: Ethan Arpi

“Energetic, fun, and talented. Moody, sometimes whiny. Songs have an innocent, blunted edge. Vocals a little airy. Sweet pony tail. Great drums.”

--Those were my notes passively scribbled this past Tuesday from a perch in the back of the Black Cat with a bad view. It wasn’t until the girls of Seattle band Smoosh became visible that my jaw dropped in impressive disbelief. The band is made up of three beautifully blonde sisters ranging in age from 11-16 years old. Generally speaking, while these girls delightfully jam and attract fans like Cat Power, Eddie Vedder, and Death Cab for Cutie, most kids their age have little more than band camp and TRL to account for their musical experience. There’s nothing wrong with band camp, but a John Phillip Sousa march hardly compares to Smoosh's honey-glazed ballads and bold, bass-laden rock tunes. Songs included a girl power cover of This Modern Love along with Smoosh’s own thoughtfully composed indie pop songs, Find a Way and She's Right. At this rate, I can’t wait to hear what kind of music these ripening rock stars are making once they're legal.

Toronto band, Tokyo Police Club has mastered the beauty of brevity. The group landed onstage on-time with a compact playlist of well-composed songs that were long enough to enjoy, yet short enough to keep you wanting more. Syncopated rhythms and subdivided beats made clapping a must. The gargled and tinny keyboards on crowd pleaser Tessellelate were the only displeasing segment of the show. A flawless rendition of In a Cave along with David Monks and Graham Wright’s consistently pristine vocals ensured a sold-out show of happy hipsters and other well-dressed enthusiasts.