Tapes 'n Tapes, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and O, Giant Man
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Jackpot
Big ol' droplets of sweat, manic-'n-moist make-out sessions: You get all of the above when Tapes 'n Tapes fans cram their dancey asses and glistening faces into a venue.
A happy vibe hung in the bar after local openers, O, Giant Man, left the stage. (Sorry, guys. I seriously didn't think the Jackpot would start a show a 9 p.m. It was a first.) The crowd was buzzing and filled with intrigued anticipation while the second band, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., set the stage with rac track flags, American flags and giant wood-crafted Jr. Jr. emblems covered in large, clear lights.
Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott wore racing jackets -- one was printed with "Cheerios," the other "Lysol" -- and Ashton Kutcher-esque trucker hats with logos. The band's mystery drummer (I'll refer to him as Sticks McGee) wore a simple black suit. It was quite impressive.
As the band began to play, one drunk concertgoer bobbed, swayed and waved his drink in the air like a champion as he cheered the Detroit duo's first song. Jr. Jr. opened with dreamy yet surprisingly loud -- like, Yeah Yeah Yeahs loud -- lively tunes. Epstein and Zott's vocal harmonies during their "God Only Knows" cover were absolutely ear-pleasing; their voices, while distinct, melted together, leaving the room filled with rich, heart-warming sounds. Their catchy songs, such as "Simple Girl," beckoned the tones that Paul McCartney created on the Beatles' "Blackbird." The band also treated the audience with a few tracks, such as "It's a Corporate World, I'm a Corporation," from their upcoming release, It's a Corporate World.
In between songs, Jr. Jr. egged the crowd on with calls to dance, and noted Lawrence and Detroit had ties with basketball player Danny Manning. The mention seemed to spark added interest in the crowd, which inspired Jr. Jr. to get a bit wilder. By the time the band played its last song, one Jr. stood atop a speaker waving an American flag while the Jr. Jr. lights pulsed to the beat of "Nothing But Our Love."
After Jr. Jr. left the stage, Tapes 'n Tapes took the stage, quickly testing their instruments. All seemed well at first, but after a bit of time, the face of frontman Josh Grier (guitar, vocals) started to form the "oh, shit" look. From what I could tell, some of Tapes' cables weren't working, or the Jackpot's speakers weren't working correctly. For a brief moment, I was nervous that the show would be called off and that Tapes would suffer the same fate Tame Impala did in November. Luckily, the show went on, and Tapes began to play. (The sound was terribly distorted, though. I had a hell of a time hearing vocals and keyboards.)
After the Tapes wrapped up their second song, Grier said, "You have got to love playing at the Jackpot. Sometimes you hit the jackpot, and sometimes you don't hit the jackpot. You never know!"
Grier and Erik Appelwick (bass guitar, backing vocals) smirked at each other.
"There's gonna be some feedback tonight, but that's OK," Grier said.
Grier looked back at Jeremy Hanson (percussion), and the foursome launched into their next song with unwavering rigor.
After the band and the crowd accepted the evening's "sound fate," the pace of the show sped up. Fans' grimaces faded, and people began to saunter to the front of the stage. Tapes' set was thoughtfully laid out and incredibly interesting, diverse and fun; songs ranged among pop, gauzy dark drone, dance, punk, ballads and calypso -- the list goes on. Grier continued to banter cheerfully with the crowd and even kept a smile on his face when the loaded dancer noted earlier wobbled onstage.
Toward the end of the show, Matt Kretzmann (keys, horn) got a raucous response when he accompanied the band with his horn. Before Tapes' launched into its last long, Grier, who was then covered in sweat, too, genuinely thanked the audience for their support and enthusiasm.
No biggie, Grier. You guys are cool. We all stuck it out and witnessed a pretty damn good show.
Critic's Notebook: I didn't have a reporter's notebook, so I brought a cheap writing pad that was covered in hearts and frogs. The pad fell apart mid-show, scattering my notes across the floor. *Looks at the piece of paper she's recording notes from and notes the yellow stain.* ...Ew.
Overheard in the Crowd: "Ugh. It smells like Doritos and pretzels, but I don't see any. Why does it smell like a county fair?"
Critic's Bias: I really like friendly bands who are nice and seem down-to-earth. Both Jr. Jr. and Tapes 'n Tapes have that going for them, so I was sold on their awesomeness before I walked in the Jackpot.
Set List:
(I stayed up front for most of the show and tried to snag the thin, wisp of a set list from under Kretzmann's keyboard, but I was unable to snatch it before it was whisked away. The following list is from a show Tapes 'n Tapes played on February 4, 2011, via Brooklyn Vegan.)
My attempt at a set list from my notes (based on lyrics):
??? Beach Girls
Say Back Something
Buckle
The Dirty Dirty / Just Drums
10 Gallon Ascots
Hang Them All
Omaha
*Island Mix a-go-go
Say Back Something
??? Outro
Insistor
*Psychedelic a-go-go
Cowbell
*Indie-pop a-go-go
*Rockabilly a-go-go
*Crazy, rumbly bass
George Michael
Freak Out
*Indicates I've made up the song title because I couldn't catch any lyrics.
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