TVD's The Night After

(Ed’s note: The cruel, cruel irony of this blog endeavor is that it’s allowed quite a few opportunities to present themselves—shows, events, interviews—but with scant ability to seize upon all of the offers. I mean, someone’s got to run the shop and keep things clicking along daily, so I’ve allowed some things to pass us by.

I’ve thought for a long while that I need a person in the street to run around like crazy, seize upon the free passes, interview the bands, do the shots, pass out on the floor, and send us dispatches from the night. The stuff that can be recalled or discussed, that is.

And a loyal reader of this ol’ blog has stepped up to do just that. Nicole’s agreed to seize upon the free passes, interview the bands, do the shots, pass out on the floor, and send us dispatches from the night. It’s God’s work, really.

In actuality, Nicole’s a music-obsessive, scientist by day (really) who’s recently moved to the U Street area, so she’s well positioned to embark on the missions we send her way as well as the ones she conjures up for herself. Anticipate the free flow of enthusiastic energy.

While we were prepping for this column, Nicole took in Devo and White Denim and bits from both follow below. She’ll be back with items from the current concert calendar...y’know...when the shots wear off.)
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Whoawhoawhoa…. quite the musically-stimulating weekend, indeed.

Saturday night Austin-based White Denim absolutely blew my mind (and my eardrums) at Rock n Roll Hotel.

I’ve been listening to this band for a few years now after they put out their first LP, ‘Work Out Holiday’ (check out, ‘all you really have to do’) and recently snatched up their newest LP, ‘Fits’. The music is kind of garage-experimental-esque and semi-reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. Highly underappreciated, in my opinion.

I can’t even explain in words how insanely good the live show was (‘explaining in words’ isn’t a blogger prerequisite, right?). There was no freakin’ stopping the tremendous trio and they bounced from one song right into the glorious next, creating one seamless night of flawlessly intricate percussion, experimental guitar sounds and classic rock vocals. True absurdity. I’m tempted to say that this is the best live show I’ve ever seen ever…… that really means a lot.

Alsooo...the band members themselves were super-chill and manned the merch booth before and after the show, asking me what I recommended in the city and discussing their favorite cities to play. I was also really excited that they all happily signed my vinyl (which, by the way, comes with BOTH the new and old albums. Genius.)

Sunday night. Went with good ol’ papadukes to see DEVO. Mark Mothersbaugh is 59 freakin’ years old and god-damn he is good. Fortunately, the weirdness hasn’t subsided at all, either.

Anticipation was high at 930 club for this sold out performance in which Devo was to play the ‘Q-Are We Not Men A-We are Devo’ album in full. The crowd was just as you’d expect for a Devo show. I saw plenty of dudes with more grey hairs than not, various sightings of the Devo-typical red Energy Dome hats and I even saw one dude wearing a shirt that also functioned as a digital clock.

Lights went down right on schedule at 9pm to a packed venue and the video for ‘Jocko Homo’ began playing on the white screen behind the stage. This video tops the weird charts and includes oddities such as gorillas spanking the bums of ‘ugly-masked’ ladies (see video below, words do not do this video justice…). Way weird, but in a totally awesome sort of way. Post-video, Devo came out in their typical yellow rubber suits which they ripped off and threw into the crowd half-way through the night. The show was rad, indeed (granted, the show was packed and I’m a whole 5-nothing, so actually seeing the action was a bit difficult), although they ended sans-encore, and sans the hit song, ‘Whip-it’.

I’m sure many of you witnessed this tremendously-funky spectacle; I’m sure many of you with much more Devo experience than I…. What did YOU GUYS think???? How do you feel about the lack of encore or ‘whip-it’?? How was the following nights show???

White Denim - All You Really Have To Do (BBC Hub Session) (Mp3)
Devo - Secret Agent Man (Mp3)