Live DC: Tapes’n'Tapes / White Denim @ 930 Club

April 25, 2008 by Amanda  Send to a Friend

all photos: Dakota Fine

We’ve heard the buzz about Tapes n Tapes, and everyone loves “Insistor”, but … I’m getting ahead of myself.

White Denim opened. White Denim exploded. White Denim tore it up. White Denim: listen to them, now (if you haven’t already).

While there weren’t very many people there at the beginning of their set, the crowd was enthusiastic. It’s not very often that one gets to hear real Rock & Roll, but last night we did. It was a throwback to the real Punk Rock of the late sixties and early seventies, with an ambient twist. Anyone who has said that it died has not seen or heard the work of these gentlemen.

They may be new to us, and we were certainly new to them — mid-set James Petralli (lead singer/guitarist) mentioned that they were “nervous” under his breath to fellow band-mates, and an audience member shouting “what’s the name of your band?” certainly didn’t ease any nerves. With high energy and soon to be hits like “All you really have to do” and “Let’s Talk about it” they are well on their way to the big time.

White Denim’s strong bass lines and vocals add a certain element that the “rock” of this decade has been lacking, fun. These guys were having fun, the audience was having fun, White Denim is fun…

Tapes n Tapes on the other hand, were, okay. Their set left much to be had, mainly the energy that White Denim had gushing from their’s and everything they’d forgotten since Loon.

They weren’t enjoyable. They seemed conceited and empty on stage. The audience, at least from the looks of it would probably agree; I was bored, and so were they. I saw two people that looked like they were excited, Two, only two. One, two. Two people out of around three or four hundred, that’s pathetic.

It was slow from the beginning and only picked up when they played their singles off The Loon. There was hardly a response when they played their new stuff, but “Insistor” had everyone going, and then they’d stop during the new stuff, then Tapes would play another Loon hit and they’d be going again. And by that time, I was bored. If they’d played with more enthusiasm from the beginning, maybe they’d have had the crowd with them the whole time. Alas, we were bored and I wanted to go home, but I didn’t because it was still early and by God I was hoping they’d do something spectacular to make up for everything else, and just about that time – they were finished. It was 11:14. No encore, but what’s more, the audience didn’t stick around for one. Maybe they’ll find a way to emerge from this “sophomore slump” on a third album, if they last that long.

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