illuminati hotties and SOAR have different capitalization strategies, but collectively with Club Night, they blew the doors off the Starline Social Club.
And, let the record show that when this venue says a show starts at 8, it starts at 8. This is my way of saying I missed the opener, Bobby.
I promise to attend a makeup show of theirs. Just someone tell me when and where, and I will totally do it. Yep. Not embarrassed at all. I’m like a cat taking a bath over here.
SOAR took the stage around 8:45 and were everything I hoped for. The all-female quartet began with “Keeping a Record.” It would have been awesome (and accurate) if they changed the lyrics to “overcast and 54 degrees” instead of “overcast and 45 degrees,” but at least they were true to the studio version.
The drummer (Rebecca) talked about someone else’s boogers before singing the band’s fourth song of the set. The chords and transition between the chorus and subsequent verse reminded me of All Girl Summer Fun Band, especially when the song suddenly ended less than two minutes in. More, please.
Before the last song, we were informed that yesterday was Rebecca’s birthday, so the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to her. She ducked behind her kit in mock embarrassment, but we knew she was there.
They then finished their 7-song (8 if you count “Happy Birthday”) set with “In the Bed.” It sounds a bit like a Throwing Muses track fused with Mary Lou Lord guitar, bu in reality it was all SOAR.
After the set was over I visited the “all gender (except men)” restroom and then watched Club Night set up.
Club Night are 5 dudes, and tonight was their record release party, according to a flyer. Their sound is what I always wanted Flaming Lips to be, especially if Perry Farrell were the guest vocalist.
The drummer specifically was fantastic. He was stiff and loose all at the same time. Even his bouncy hair was perfect. At several points his glasses flew off, and it didn’t even matter.
The synths on top made me think of Gerty with hints of Led Zeppelin and Interpol. The technical aptitude was impressive.
This band offered something for everyone. Long hair? Short hair? Facial hair? Hat? Glasses? They’re a goddamn Facebook quiz.
One thing missing was a lot of banter between songs. The stage presence was fine; they just didn’t interact much with us. And that seems reasonable. These tracks required a ton of concentration. I mostly stared at the drummer, but if I were to make a Club Night cover band, I would call it Men at Work. That name is available, isn’t it?
Anyway, it was a solid, fundamentally sound set. They played for about 45 minutes, and that was about right.
After a 15-minute break, illuminati hotties took over the stage, and no matter your persuasion, you couldn’t help but agree with the band’s naming strategy.
The 3 guys all wore white T-shirts and hot red shorts that left nothing to the imagination, while the lead singer had a matching red top and dark jeans. Very scrubbed, but not inauthentic.
The powerpop-heavy act began with “(You’re Better) Than Ever” and, my personal favorite, “Shape of My Hands.” It was a different take on the recorded version but still quite energetic.
After the lead singer disclosed what she had for dinner (a burger—what? The self-proclaimed burrito aficionado had a burger? Are you kidding me?) the band began the slow-building “Patience.”
After thanking the other bands (and inadvertently adding to my guilt of missing Bobby), they played “For Cheez (My Friend, Not the Food).” It was an example of four musicians playing individually together. It was super-sharp.
The band’s performance and interaction with the crowd was top notch. After getting the crowd, somehow, to howl in unison, the lead singer replied, “That’s a lot of sad doggies.” The band then played a new song whose melody reminded me of a Sex Pistols classic. If this is the direction illuminati hotties are going in, I’m excited.
Halfway through the set, the singer said, “This is the part of the set where I change guitars.” Then, while she did this, we got an 8-bit/elevator rendition of “Pressed 2 Death.” After she strapped herself in, they played their single, “Cuff.” The short pant-wearing hotties did a tremendous job keeping the song together, especially during the chorus, where we saw some of the most emphatic guitar and drum work of the night.
During the final chorus of “Paying Off the Happiness,” the singer suddenly ran over to the drummer and started whaling on the drums with him. And then afterward she finally mentioned burritos. All is forgiven.
The next song was another new one about a date’s dog. When you can entertain me while singing about a canine, you’ve done well.
They finished with an actual rendition of “Pressed 2 Death,” and amid the fun random tempo changes an honest to goodness pit broke out. I need to see them again just to see whether this is a normal occurrence.
