POSTED: Sunday, June 13, 2010, 8:10 AM
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| Photo | John Vettese |
You don't fuck with the Philadelphia popscene.
So it's what, only two songs in and somebody at stage left throws something at Party Photographers singer Elizabeth Rogers. She takes no guff - tosses it right back, doesn't let it distract her from delivering on her band's fuzzed-out pop bliss tones. Except, as we'll see, there's more to them than this...but dude is relentless. He continues antagonizing, and she hits a breaking point. From the center of the crowd, we watch Rogers dumping the remains of a Natty Boh on the provocateur, and he relents. And it's back to the music. Right the fuck on.
Party Photogs get drawn into Jesus and Mary Raveonettes parallels for their speedy rhythms and reverb'd take on proto-rock n roll. And sure, the influence is undeniable. So what? It sounds phenomenal bouncing off the cement walls of Kensington DIY space The Ox. And it made the moments where they slowed it down into a tense simmer all the more striking, breathtaking. Rogers and her three bandmates - who play on June 23 Kungfu Necktie, then on July 31 at Tritone for Sugar Town, and who you totally need to catch next time - can slam you into a fierce dancing frenzy with their fastest songs. But their introverted moments have such a grip, you won't make a peep, lest you get in a fight with the band. And you don't want that.
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
The stage was well set for
Creepoid, one of the most exciting bands to emerge from the Philly scene this year. An offshoot of the brash 90s rawk inspired group
The G, Creepoid dwells in the heady acousto-space jam world, where breathy vocals beckon and lap steel rises and falls, where drum rhythms swell, then slam, and somewhere in the back of the room,
Kurt Vile and his buds nod in approval.
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
The great thing about this like-minded triad of artists, on this bill, in this space: it's a warehouse, and they all sound exactly like they're supposed to. At a proper venue, we would doubtless see some use of pedals and soundboard effects patches to bring things in line. Here, it just feels right. Take
Reading Rainbow who, we should add, just get better and better the more they perform (new full-length on
Hozac Records this fall!) -- it's like they crafted their whole approach, aesthetic, dynamic,
flowery jargon, etc. so it would be ready for top performance in this most unforgiving of environs. Bigger, badasser bands might struggle with the boxy constraints of The Ox. Rob Garcia and Sarah Everton
freaking own it.
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
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| Photo | John Vettese |
