all photos:Chris Chen

I was already at the Cat when Apache Beat started, but the boys from Oxford Collapse were distracting me, and so I only caught the last few songs of Apache Beat’s set.

They are all talented on their instruments, BUT their lead singer/front-woman, Ilirjana Alushja, cannot sing. I could not understand anything her, low, husky, almost masculine, voice was saying. They’re a band that “grows on you” – when you listen to them over and over and over again, but really you know they’re not great. If they got a new vocalist, maybe I could stand listening to them, but as of now, I’ll pass.

Moving on to bigger, brighter, young things, we have the boys of Oxford Collapse. You can read my previous love of them here (hyperlink to previous review). They played more from their new album ‘BITS!’ which comes out today! (GO BUY IT!) It’s more danceable than their previous work while maintaining their rough-around-the-edges sound. Mid-set “Mr. Murray” (Keith Murray of We Are Scientists) joined them on stage and shared vocals with Mike. Before leaving stage they thanked Keith of “We Are Scientologists,” stirring a giggle from the audience.

After Oxford Collapse’s set I pushed my way to the front. The “Scientologists” took the stage on time (11:30) and without a word broke into ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt’ – much to everyone’s approval. The crowd sang along to every word. Every word. I can’t remember the last time I was at a show where everyone knew all the lyrics. Some of them (brace yourself) even danced. What a concept! Now was it as much dancing as there should be? No, but it was more than I’ve observed lately. It was a welcome surprise. The fist-pumping was, however, not. Fist-pumping, at a WAS show? I suppose they are rather revolutionary.

The front-man-duo exchanged friendly banter throughout the set. At one point Keith asked where everyone was from by listing states, when someone shouted “Idaho!” he coyly smiled and berated them with “I wasn’t going to ask about Idaho.” They played an even mix from their debut album and recent release. While the sound on the later is easily distinguished, they complement each other, almost in a Q and A way – with the songs of the former being resolved by the later.

Between ‘Inaction’ and ‘Impatience’ they paused to ask the audience if there could be “any improvement on our part? Well, let’s talk about you.” And Chris (Cain) picked out a man in the audience and said, “This is for you.”

They played a free flowing set, with one song often leading, without interruption, right into another.

After ‘That’s what Counts’ they asked the audience’s opinion of Oxford Collapse, Keith liked them and “that’s all that matters.” Chris went on to describe the next song as – “not the biggest hit on the album, yet.”

Keith: Don’t jinx us!

Chris: I said, “yet!”

They proceeded to open ‘After Hours’ with examples of how to properly do squats and curls with a guitar. Chris instructs the audience to squat with him. They do and We Are Scientists breaks into their-not-so-big- hit. Afterwards they swing into a lively ‘Textbook’ during which Keith comes down off the stage and the crowd goes wild and shares in holding the mic cord and passing it around as Keith moves deeper into the crowd. When he makes it back on stage, ‘It’s a Hit’ leaves everyone wanting more. They’ve left the stage and an enthusiastic crowd starts chanting.

Upon making their way back Chris assures everyone, “It’s not a big deal, I mean, really, we were just over there. Right over there.” For their encore the play ‘Lethal Enforcer’ and lead another sing-along during their last song of the night, ‘Great Escape’ to close what was a brilliant performance (but they already knew that).

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