Bishop Allen: El Mocambo's crème de la crème
Opening acts can't steal the show away from Massachusetts' headlining 'collegiate rockers'
By Hilary Lynd, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Film & Music
When the El Mocambo's doors open, it seems like just another night at this historic Kensington venue. I'm early and not many people have arrived. Yet I still feel the pre-gig buzz of excitement, as I just spotted Bishop Allen front man Justin Rice outside, taking a picture of the distinctive neon palm tree that marks the front of the venue. I grab a drink at the bar, and see Darbie Nowatka (keyboardist, string player and token female member) opening boxes of t-shirts at the merch stand.
There's a small group of people sitting near the bar. One of the guys looks like he just stepped out of a early 90s children's TV show, complete with parachute jeans, long hair and a backwards cap. A few minutes go by before a distinctly 80s beat begins to play. Soon the group at the table gets up and runs to the stage, forms a line and begins a choreographed routine. It's so ridiculous that it's genius. In time with the beat, openers Darwin Deez drop into their first song "Constellation," revealing a funky style of indie pop to an audience looking on half in amusement, half in wonder.
The songs are simplistic but fresh, and the band is clearly having the time of their lives. Bassist Michelle Dorrance (aka 'Mash Deez') stands confidently in a rock pose as she thumps out the simple bass lines, grinning wide and busting the occasional move. Catchy hooks are found in abundance throughout, as in "Radar Detector" where the pitch of the chorus spikes before taking a low dive, infecting the listener's brain and lingering there for hours. The band breaks occasionally between songs to perform further routines and intra-band dance-offs to mash ups including samples from top 40 hits like "Single Ladies".
I'm a bit surprised when the second band, Throw Me the Statue, take the stage. The Seattle quartet sounds like they ought to be a garage-style indie-punk band, but they're dressed smart in matching shirts and look more like an honest roots-rock band from Tennessee. The synth & guitar hook of "Hi-fi Goon" echoes out from the stage as front man Scott Reitherman stares meaningfully out into the crowd. The dark anthem "Ancestors" swells to wrap the audience in the kind of performance intensity usually reserved for stadium concerts.
There's a small group of people sitting near the bar. One of the guys looks like he just stepped out of a early 90s children's TV show, complete with parachute jeans, long hair and a backwards cap. A few minutes go by before a distinctly 80s beat begins to play. Soon the group at the table gets up and runs to the stage, forms a line and begins a choreographed routine. It's so ridiculous that it's genius. In time with the beat, openers Darwin Deez drop into their first song "Constellation," revealing a funky style of indie pop to an audience looking on half in amusement, half in wonder.
The songs are simplistic but fresh, and the band is clearly having the time of their lives. Bassist Michelle Dorrance (aka 'Mash Deez') stands confidently in a rock pose as she thumps out the simple bass lines, grinning wide and busting the occasional move. Catchy hooks are found in abundance throughout, as in "Radar Detector" where the pitch of the chorus spikes before taking a low dive, infecting the listener's brain and lingering there for hours. The band breaks occasionally between songs to perform further routines and intra-band dance-offs to mash ups including samples from top 40 hits like "Single Ladies".
I'm a bit surprised when the second band, Throw Me the Statue, take the stage. The Seattle quartet sounds like they ought to be a garage-style indie-punk band, but they're dressed smart in matching shirts and look more like an honest roots-rock band from Tennessee. The synth & guitar hook of "Hi-fi Goon" echoes out from the stage as front man Scott Reitherman stares meaningfully out into the crowd. The dark anthem "Ancestors" swells to wrap the audience in the kind of performance intensity usually reserved for stadium concerts.
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