I am a fan of Tokyo Police Club so I was rather excited to go check them out live at The Earl, and surprise, surprise, there was an added bonus…Harlem Shakes just so happen to be on the bill. Those of you familiar with this site understand why seeing The Shakes live (again) was kind of bitter-sweet.
Ruby Coast opened the show and they were ok, they sounded pretty good live and reminded me a little bit of, Los Campesinos…except the lead singer had a more soothing voice. They have potential, just need a little more seasoning.
First let me clarify, I did not say that Harlem Shakes sucked, in fact I mentioned that I thought their music sounded tight and fresh. Yes, I realize that I referenced Mumbles in regard to the lead singer’s voice, but it’s what popped in my mind while listening to him. Ok, glad we got that out of the way and can move forward. This time around, I actually enjoyed Harlem Shakes and I was especially impressed with the guitar player; he is a talented fellow. I was also fond of the keyboard player and the drummer…they mixed well together. Lexy, the lead singer’s voice is still not my cup of tea as it tends to reach a level where it is not enjoyable but I could sense some improvement. I am not sure I can say that Harlem Shakes have grown as a band because I am pretty sure they have a few new members but it can be said that this show was monumentally better than when they opened for Vampire Weekend a couple years back.
Now on to the band who I charged my camera batteries for, Tokyo Police Club. Their songs were short and sweet and they absolutely had the crowd by the collar, especially with their fun little game of Mad Libs. TPC played a good mix of songs and their set-list included tracks such as: Nature, Box, Juno, Shoulders, Spark and Paste. I am a bit more intrigued by their older material but in a live setting I rather enjoyed the tracks from Elephant Shell.
Video: “Juno” from Tokyo Police Club
