Brightest Young Things

All words and photos: Francis Chung

Local concertgoers fearing a potential cancellation by a high-profile headliner this past weekend were proven right, although the culprit turned out not to be the likeliest candidate. Despite having recently called off six shows in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, Morrissey showed up in fine form on Saturday at Warner Theater, while indie-rock critical darlings Crystal Stilts were AWOL from their Sunday-night engagement at DC9, apparently due to a malfunctioning tour van. Fans were understandably disappointed, but the club handled the situation graciously, offering free drink vouchers to everyone who had purchased advance tickets to the show. In addition to the complementary libation, the sizable crowd was treated to terrific performances by the remaining acts on the bill: True Womanhood and Women, two bands that formed a congruous pairing not only in name, but also in terms of musical style and sensibility.

The five-song opening set by DC’s True Womanhood was surprisingly brief, considering that they presumably could have taken up some of the time vacated by Crystal Stilts. Still, the group showed off their ongoing development as a live band, appearing in a three-piece formation which delivered slightly pared-down arrangements of songs such as “Dignity Colony” and “A Diviner.” The set was highlighted by an hypnotic rendition of the drone-heavy “Shadow People,” which exemplified True Womanhood’s ability to blend haunting melodies, dissonant noise, and propulsive rhythms into a sometimes explosive sonic mix.

Carrying on the evening’s avant-rock vibe, Women gave a dynamic performance that was nothing short of a minor revelation. Still relatively unknown despite plenty of favorable reviews of their self-titled debut album, the Calgary-based quartet served notice at DC9 that they are definitely a band to watch. Led by Patrick Flegel on vocals and guitar, the band played a forty-minute set that showcased a diverse palette of sounds ranging from jangly chords and tuneful harmonies to screeching feedback and extended post-rock instrumental forays. Songs like “Black Rice” and “Shaking Hand” were eminently accessible, yet punctuated by an experimental bent that kept listeners off-balance, but definitely engaged.

Women will be gigging extensively in North America and Europe through June, and are currently on a brief tour with Crystal Stilts leading up to several performances at SXSW. True Womanhood also has a number of upcoming shows scheduled, including a gig at the Velvet Lounge during the DNA Test Fest in April.

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