Tapes ‘n Tapes, White Denim, Vampire Hands @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
What better way to usher in this year’s Passover than rocking out at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg? Rolling paper standard/concert sponsor, Zig-Zag Live, solidified the claim that its product and music really do go well together. Tapes ‘n Tapes, along with their touring pals White Denim and hometown buddies Vampire Hands, brought down the house last Saturday in a milieu of menacing Minnesota (and Texas) madness.
Vampire Hands worked really hard on stage, as exemplified by Colin Johnson’s profuse sweating, and their sound reflected that work. Often times evoking the exclusive rhythm of Washington, DC’s Go-Go beat (whether or not he is aware of it) Johnson’s furious beating of his floor tom or gentle quick taps on its hoops contributed to Vampire Hands’ ability to seamlessly sift through, separate and borrow the best sounds from competing genres. From the very first note the Minneapolis quartet from delivered a enthusiastic, talented and entertaining show. They are a great (scary, fun, dance-y, sing along, cryptic) band who own their name and all other Vampires should step up and beware.
Austin trio White Denim took a while to loosen up but eventually the bug was unavoidable. Just when I thought boredom had the best of me, ho hum another overly hyped up blogband, James Petralli, guitarist and lead vocals, specifically his vocals, swooped my attention away from the irritating concert text messagers and back to the stage. The infectious churning of the drums was at times a bit lulling but all was truly redeemed by Petralli’s soulful pipes. Although White Denim didn’t get going until the latter part of their set they proved their worth. These proprietors of awkward chic (hey bass player) could work on their stage presence, as their sound is generally energetic and scattered and desperate for raucous delivery. Message to the teenage girls wiggling the night away: You kept the sound alive and should negotiate a cut.
Those pesky texters finally put away their iphones around midnight when Tapes ‘n Tapes unloaded a set rife with vigor and comraderie. They certainly brought the best fans. Super-psyched Nouveaux Brooklynites ran amuck and one enthusiastic fan tossed his shirt on stage after being physically reprimanded for dancing so aggressively. Singer Josh Grier and his voice were swallowed by his band’s heavy distortion, as was Matt Kretzman, the double fisting keyboardist and trumpet player talent. Grier was spit back out towards the end of their set during “Omaha,” where I was relieved to see that waiting a while showed us Grier’s talents and intentions. The slowest song of the night had Grier and bassist Erik Appelwick in classic frontman and bass guy position, facing one another while playing off each other’s short and sweet riffs. Tapes ‘n Tapes, like the rest of the line up, experimented with isolated anti-tempos within their otherwise coordinated songs often facilitated by Grier’s vocal delivery and cutie Jeremy Hanson’s drums.
Overall it was a good night of tunes to celebrate not just Passover but any holiday. >>>PILAR HAILE DAMATO
Tags: Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Tapes 'N Tapes, Vampire Hands, White Denim, Zig-Zag Live
