Fortunately for concertgoers, lines for the Mates of State and (the "ho-hum") Black Kids show at the recently-reopened House of Blues moved quickly last night. Inside the venue, murals of rock legends and vintage concert posters decorated the walls, while religious symbols like the Hand of Fatima, Mary, Buddha, and the Star of David, created a crown over the stage, perhaps to tell us that what we were about to see would give us something new to believe in. The venue is spacious, and granted even vertically-challenged fans a good view from most spots. The only drawback to the digs was the absence of a merchandise table; however, the club store was open through the end of the show.
Jacksonville duo the Sunbears opened the evening. Hailing from the same town as Black Kids, Jonathan Berlin (vocals/piano/bass/electronics) and Jared Browser (drums) must have drunk the same water as their tour mates. The band's effervescent style and psychedelic synth melodies made it easy to bop your head. The crowd energy was high during the set, as evidenced by a giant white balloon ball making its way through the audience. Although the ball quickly deflated, the appreciation for the band didn’t. The Sunbears' name was dropped by both headliners and carried over the cheers of the club. The duo closed with “A Lovely Tuesday” on a piano straight out of your third-grade music class and vocals that could've been the illegitimate lovechild of Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins.
Post and photos contributed by Cat Mooney (email).
Mates of State took the stage second and proved that this couple still has a spark. Opening with “Fraud in the 80s,” Kori Gardner quickly moved from keyboard to her signature electronic organ. Hubby and drummer Jason Hammel harmonized difficult pitches nicely while keeping the beat. The pair played favorites from past albums Bring It Back and Team Boo and newbies from 2008’s Re-Arrange Us. With songs like “Get Better” and “The Re-Arranger,” they asked the audience to just let things go in these serious times: “Everything’s gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better.” All the while keeping up the signature sound, MoS beefed up instrumentals by adding Judgement Day brothers Anton (on violin, bass, tambourine) and Lewis Patzner (cello, trombone, piano). The siblings played the beginning and ending of the set, closing the performance on bass and trombone with an enthusiastic aggression reminiscent of Cake.
Closers Black Kids stole the show and really got the dance party going. Ali Youngblood (keyboardist and half of the back-up vocals) got the crowd shaking with her fist pumps and swinging hips, but her brother and frontman, Reggie, established the tempo for the set. His sultry voice, clear and casual, boomed over the thick bass and diverse drum beats. BK did not disappoint, delivering the funk and energy of its acclaimed debut album Partie Traumatic. Crowd favorites included the album’s cover track and closing song “I’m Making Eyes at You.” Despite wide success at home and abroad, the group remained humble and Reggie responded bashfully to fan screams and song requests. The Black Kids left the stage smiling with an electric current leftover that many concertgoers took home or to later dance parties.
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