Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Don't Stop the Rock

The Marquis

Black Kids' lead vocals & guitarist


The Encore

I skate across the floor in my socks Risky Business style, hairbrush in hand, screaming out the lyrics to I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You. My neighbors must love me right now. Black Kids opened up for Mates of State last night at the Granada Theatre here in Dallas. From Jacksonville, Florida, these kids put on a high energy and well put together show, albeit a bit poppy. I went in knowing little and expecting nothing from the band, and they vastly cleared the bar. Their other single Hurricane Jane was one of the few songs I knew, but they had me glued throughout their entire set- sometimes it can be difficult to pay close attention at concerts, if you don't know the lyrics. I felt like I was on a sugar high watching these guys. And I think the kid next to me may have been, as he literally vibrated the entire hour. The Black Kids won my heart when they sewed a little bit of New Order into their final song. But, the fun didn't end when they took their final bow. Next up was husband and wife duo from San Francisco, Mates of State- the reason I ventured out on a Monday night. Jason Hammel on drums and Kori Gardner on keyboard, a fiddler/percussionist, and a cellist, create the upbeat and diverse songs. After seeing them at last year's ACL Fest, I had become hooked and anticipating more, now that we were in a more intimate setting. Opening with My Only Offer, set the mood for a great show. Not much talk, and lots of rock, they segued smoothly from one song to the next. Dying to hear my favourite song, I yelled all night for The Re-Arranger. And to no avail, as it was not included in the set. Sunbear, the first act (before Black Kids), came out and joined Mates of State for a fantastic, drum-oriented song. And just when I was about to give up hope, Kori & Jason hit the opening notes for The Re-Arranger! I knew they wouldn't let me down! Ending the show on a real high note, I practically skipped out of the theatre. My only gripe would have to be regarding the acoustics. Not really the bands' fault, but the singers were a bit difficult to understand, and I felt they were drowned out by the music in a way. Granada is usually pretty spot on about getting the sound right, it just seemed a little off- nothing drastic. However, all in all, it was a brilliant way to spend a Monday evening! 

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