Brightest Young Things

all photos: Dakota Fine

3 good bands played 930 club this Sunday. We've extensively covered all 3 of them before and while we have a MILLION great photos courtesy of Dakota, we don't have any words due to unforseen circumstances that are going on at BYT right now. So, we did this:

Previous live show words about The Dig
They continually rattled off hip shaking, earworm banger after another for the sparse 9 o’clock crowd, many of whom were dancing shamelessly from the jump through the pacesetting “Penitentiary.” Bassist/vocalist Emile Mossari climbed the high notes throughout as on the lush “Carry Me Home” while guitar/vocalist David Baldwin let the lyrical freak flag fly on the eery “Two Sisters in Love,” carrying the verse and chorus while Mossari harmonized with ethereal keyboards. Sailing charted rock territory of women, pining for women, partying, and more women never got tiring, you just wish you’d been invited when tambourines were being thrown “into the fire and through the silver screen.” A tight 4-piece honing their live show all year with buzzed about The XX and veterans The Walkmen, I can’t wonder if they’re pondering the terms of future success singing “when you found me, I was free of the walls that now surround me.” It’s something they’ll deal with if the LP, due next year, rings out like the live show.

previous live show words about Antlers
The Antlers’ keyboardist Darby Cicci was wearing socks on the stage and that’s probably what describes the show best: Music that took your shoes off. The trio’s sound made you want to be on a train ride, headphones in your ear, staring out of the window and hoping never to arrive. Or curl up in an armchair and purr. But then, when you least expect it, the lullabies grew big, and heart-wrenching and took the audience by surprise. In a most sweet and dreamy voice, front man Peter Silberman was singing about death, guilt, loss and the helplessness of being forced to watch a beloved one dying.

I haven’t heard music that emotionally charged in a while.

Previous live show words about Editors:
But seriously, even if you are not a huge Editors fan, their live show is AMAZING.
A must see.
I think William used the word “cathartic” once, and, amazingly, it is quite an accurate description.
Nothing about the previous two bands (who, lets face it, do depend on style over substance a little too much) prepares you for it.
It is soaring, searing, and cuts through you like a knife. Very rarely do you see a live show that makes you a convert and this is it.
I’ll admit, I’ve always felt their albums are too moody, too grandiose for their own good, almost old-fashioned in their Joy Divisiony aspirations but boy, oh, boy they make up for it on stage. And mainly because it all does come off as genuine.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll maybe suffer from epileptic shock from all the (very beautifully designed, mind you) laser beams jutting around their heads, but no matter what, you’ll walk away wanting more.

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