Warm fender tones, lyrics peppered with idiosyncrasies and melodies swelling with hooks, The Stevens have all the good things going on. Casually playing pop hit after pop hit, I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t seen this band prior, and I felt like I’d been missing out.
Now the crowd was nice and warm, The UV Race got up to do their thing. What exactly is their thing is hard to describe. It’s raw, it’s primal, it’s some kind of krautrock, no-wave, garage mash up. Really, it’s superfluous to try to define the band; it’s the kind of music that’s made for the live setting: the banter and the semi-nudity is critical to the UV Race experience. Tonight the band was on point, with lead singer Marcus making the most of the large stage by getting up close and personal and receiving some enthusiastic belly pats from the eager audience.
The main attraction left the crowd waiting for arguably too long, the bizarre marching band cross experimental free jazz was entertaining for the first minute but after the third it began to get painful. But we’ll forgive the Courts. From start to finish, the crowd was shaking it as the band tore through songs from their break through album Light Up Gold and their more recent offerings, Sunbathing Animal and Content Nausea. The ‘king of dole wave,’ Al Montfort took to the stage to play keys on Instant Disassembly, a perfect example of the bands ability to insert life and dynamic into their slower tracks, as well as their more up-tempo numbers. A huge applaud sounded as they broke into Master of My Craft with its brilliant segue into Borrowed Time.
Parquet Courts seemed more relaxed this tour, bantering with the crowd, taking jibes about America with a grain of salt and praising the local bands on the lineup who have clearly become friends. While you could contest the tracks from Light Up Gold received the best reception, there’s an undeniable character and charm to songs like Pretty Machines from their latest album, Content Nausea. The shine and buoyancy may have decreased on the bands more recent output, but there is strong foundation to their newer more subtle approach. Parquet Courts are a band that truly are masters of their craft.
BY KRYSTAL MAYNARD
Loved: My excellent vantage point.
Hated: No Stoned and Starving!.
Drank: Vodka.
