all top notch photos: Shauna Alexander
all words: Ryma Chikhoune
DC9 was packed when The xx took the stage as a three-piece Sunday night.
“This is our first ever time of playing in Washington,” said bassist and singer Oliver Sim, joined by co-leader Romy Madley Croft and producer, programmer Jamie Smith. "This is crazy, really crazy."
As expected, Baria Qureshi was nowhere to be seen. The xx’s former keyboardist and guitarist recently left the band (at least momentarily) due to exhaustion.
“I guess, personal differences would be the standard way to say it,” Croft told NME. “I guess, it’s just the intensity of being on tour. Things are so much heightened.”
Despite the changes, The xx, formed in 2005 by South West London-based school friends, played an amazing show seemingly enjoyed by all.
The crowd, however, didn’t show the opener, British musician Jon Hopkins, any love. I guess most were in the mood for what they had been there for- chill music from The xx- and nothing else, certainly not thumping electronica.
The xx began with the instrumental ‘Intro,’ a song that gave listeners a sweet taste of what was to come.
The xylophonic ‘VCR’ followed with Sim and Croft’s soothing voices melting together, as they sang their duets as one.
In ‘Heart Skipped a Beat’ the leading twosome, who were both dressed head-to-toe in black, with layered, silver chains around their necks, beautifully echoed the words, “Sometimes, I still need you.”
During the song, someone whispered, "The xx makes make out music.”
“‘Infinity’ is a sexy song,” I found myself thinking of the young band, whose debut record, xx, was released in August of this year.
“This next song is the first cover of the night…There’s a good chance we’ll fuck up,” Sim said laughing, before they played their seductive version of Kyla’s ‘Do You Mind.’
It was intriguing watching Sim. When he played, he had a deep, intense and hypnotizing stare that softened as soon as he grinned broadly and said, “thank you” at the end of each song.
The band also performed the popular ‘Basic Space,’ ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Teardrops,’ as well as ‘Island,’ ‘Fantasy,’ ‘Shelter’ and ‘Night Time.’
They ended with ‘Stars,’ a song that aches with longing.
Fittingly, as soon as it was over, I found myself yearning for more.
You too? Here.
Previously in Live DC:
- Live DC: Marina And The Diamonds @ 930 Club
- PHOTOS: 30 Seconds to Mars @ SONAR (brought to you by Maybelline)
- Live DC: Autolux @ Black Cat brought to you by Moldex Ear Plugs
- Live DC: Dominique Young Unique @ DC9
- Rock The Bells Report
- PHOTOS: Family Hemerlein August Edition
- LiveDC: Matisyahu @ 930 Club
- PHOTOS: Scissor Sisters @ DAR
- Live DC: Tears for Fears @ 9:30 Club
- Live DC: Vivian Girls / Brett and the Whispers / Heavy Cream @ Comet
God loves a cheerful giver.
Perfect Sunday night show.... Warm, seductive and even a little sad at times. So so good.
Jon Hopkins was complete shit. He wasn't even halfway through his set when people started talking, and loudly with complete disregard for the "music" he was producing on stage.
The XX were absolutely incredible, and humble and believably in awe that so many people were there to see them.
I think everyone that was there Sunday night knows how lucky they were to see them before the blow up that will surely come next year. Especially since they're opening for Hot Chip next year, that'll be interesting.
Teardrops was by far my favorite. Not only is their version FAR superior to the tacky original, but Romy kills it on guitar. She's like a modern day Will Sergeant. Not the most complicated stuff but she's very confident - notice the way she holds her right hand when she plays...
Patrick, I have been waiting for your guitar talk. Thanks for delivering.
it was an amazing show, feel lucky to have gone... a very special night. I agree with Amanda, Jon Hopkins ranks high on the worst openers of all time list.
Worst opener of all time? You guys must not get out much. The first half of his set was a bit of glitchy/IDM, but once he got into it he actually had a couple of good dance tunes. His programming was pretty impressive and sounded good on the club PA. If anything, this disappointment w/his set stems NOT from his being a bad performer, but more from the audience's lack of familiarity with electronic music cannot be lumped under the lazy catch-all term "techo."
No, Patrick, I just typically don't like electronic music. There wasn't a melody, there was hardly rhythm, and I have a hard time relating to and appreciating music that doesn't evoke some sort of feeling. I can get down to music without word, but at least let it rise and fall and have some semblance of a storyline in tempo. Jon Hopkins didn't do that, it was flat and everything eventually sounded the same.
fully agree with Patrick.
not to mention his set was as long if not longer than the xx. I get out plenty, he ranks above ponytail and behind michael benjamin anthony robinson... all of different genres, all horrible but supporting great acts like yeasayer and lykke li.
humm. now that i know they have been together since 2005, i'm even more in awe. and not in a good way. they are boring. like, boring-boring. the criticisms i have heard (and i certainly agree) is that they need to grow up and mature. but they have been together for 4 years? wtf? i feel like, if i were them, i would lie about that. i mean, they hadn't put anything out (not even a 7"???) until this year...
i don't know. perhaps there is a good song somewhere in there. but, to me, they are sooooooo nothing.
i mean, yes, music is subjective. i get that. and i get people (apparently) love them. just stating my opinion here. but jeez, snore-fest-city.
@ amanda: I said to a friend that I found Hopkin's music interesting because it seemed to combine so many different genre's of electronic music but that I found it personally a bit too emotional and sweet. I best liked the noisy, unstructured sequences in some of his songs.
Like with all types of music, one needs to learn to listen. All music is aqcuired taste. Still there is also such a thing than good and bad music. But judging someone's performance if you have no understanding of the music's nature is stupid.
Like Patrick, I was annoyed by the rudeness of part of the audience. I really don't understand why people don't simply do a bit of research before they go to show. Just skip stuff that you don't like. You'll do yourself and everyone else a favor.
NP: I get to shows early so that I can be right up front. And despite not liking Jon Hopkins, I was respectful during his set and was also annoyed with others' rudeness.
I appreciate your difference of opinion, but I stand by mine.
I have given Jon Hopkins more of a listen today and have listened to A LOT of electronic music in the past as a means of trying to "get it." But I don't.
Though, I will admit that what was on his Myspace wasn't as fuddled as his performance on Sunday.
yawwwn
if there is one thing worse than hipsters it is british hipsters.
For some reason people's reception of Hopkins reminds me of when Jamie Lidell came through in 2006 and the crowd was split between techno kids and rock kids. When he started into his IDM, beatboxing, and live remixing all the rock kids clustered towards one end of the room and half of them left because he most certainly was not simply engaging in a dry recitation of his album.
Jon Hopkins is really good if you like IDM and there's a pretty big scene for that here. I'm pretty sure XX brought him along because in Europe, this is kind of normal, whereas here, the audience is hyper-concentrated. DC for some reason has a really weird habit of having exiled electronic music to the fringes, which makes zero sense given how huge this city has been for dance music.
I will say that I def think it was an odd combination. But then again, I like XX, but I don't like them live.
I didn't mind Hopkins. He started off rough but he finished strong.