all words: Josh Stewart
all photos: Mindy Barrett
Alright Black Cat… show is sold out… there are Tornado warnings and impending thunderstorms. Let’s do this!
Double Dagger, reminded me of the cool kind of comic book nerd. The kid that read graphic novels, but ya know also skateboards… so it’s cool. Their brand of apathetic, simplistic nerd punk was right on the money and though not my thing, the three piece had the energy of a band double in size. Check out more from the band here.
Titus Andronicus represents a lot of different things. The band’s influences span from Americana like Springsteen (duh they are from New Jersey) to Boston punk a la the Dropkick Murphy’s to the lyrical sensibilities of Billy Bragg.
Since the band is named after one of Shakespeare’s most visceral and violent plays I had very high hopes for their live show.
And thus the bro down began. Fists pumping. Moderate to light crowd-surfing. Which, evidentially is not allowed at the Black Cat which is… ya know… very UNCHILL. I witnessed multiple bros ranging from bearded… to teen… to yuppie… quickly escorted out the back for crowd surfing. No need to raise pitchforks against the venue, but I did want to point out that this behavior as both odd and again… very UNCHILL.
Maybe I am out of the loop when it comes to crowd-surfing laws. Moving on…
The show hit the high water mark during the track “A More Perfect Union”. Bass is moving at a steady eighth note pace… a reference to Fenway… a reference to Newark... this gem “I never wanted to change the world, but I am looking for a new New Jersey , cause tramps like us baby we were born to die.”
Everyone break for a serious rock out. Wave the American flag and chug your Budweiser ™ ! Guitars… three of em… start/stop with tempo change… yes please.
Rest time. Equipment breaks. We get a 10 minute lesson from Titus on how electricity travels through wires.
The band had a seamless live show. Lyrics balanced evenly on teen/suburban angst and political/social commentary. In an era, where bands are riding chillwaves and ruining beach rock forever (miss you Jan and Dean), Titus Andronicus is a dose of real, raucous, American rock and roll. I definitely understand why this band is important to a lot of people.
Catch Titus on June 2 at the 9:30 club with Okkervil River and Future Islands.
Previously in Live DC:
- 5/16: Photos: Dance In The Circle @ Dupont Circle
- 5/16: LiveDC: The Cranberries @ 930 Club
- 5/15: LiveDC: Esperanza Spalding @ Howard Theatre
- 5/15: LiveDC: Opeth & Mastodon @ Fillmore
- 5/15: LiveDC: M83 w/ I Break Horses @ 930 Club
- 5/14: PHOTOS: Metal Lords feat. Rob Zombie & Megadeth @ Merriweather
- 5/14: GIVEAWAY: ART AFTER DARK @ Art Museum of the Americas
- 5/14: LiveDC: Spiritualized @ 930 Club
- 5/14: LiveDC: Ingrid Michaelson @ 930 Club
- 5/14: LiveDC: Active Child @ Black Cat
God loves a cheerful giver.
This is a pretty poor review, and not just because I'm the area's preeminent Titus Andronicus fan.
IMPORTANT THINGS YOU HAVE FAILED TO NOTE:
-The band claimed that this was the biggest headline audience of their career (?)
-They payed tribute to Poly Styrene (RIP), dead one day earlier with a fucking killer "Oh Bondage! Up Yours" led by the ripping Amy Klein
-They never play encores, and yet they obliged the DC audience with a cover of Sham 69's "If The Kids Are United"
-Dinowalrus, led by an ex-Titus guitarist, played a surprisingly entertaining first set of the night, featuring a photo-sensitive effects pedal thrown into seizure by a handheld strobe, slide guitar, and major rock posturing.
-Not every gathering of fist-pumping males is a bro-down. Outright patriotism from dirty liberals is a rare thing.
Lazy work, kids.
172383 @Apples of Dischord: No... I am pretty sure I bro'd-down.
yeah, btw, this review is beneath you. josh, if you're gonna go to the show for free, you should be willing to put in the time to write something serious. i'm sure tons of people would have loved to cover this show. step up, sir.
full disclosure: I was one of the bearded bros escorted out at the end of the show for stage diving (totally forgot you can't do that, there). Sad I missed the encore.
I just wanted to say that I think Josh did a fine job with this review. Maybe he omitted some boring facts that you think are awesome, but to say that bros were not bro-ing down at this show is either splitting hairs or just plain crazy. You sound like a self hating bro, Dischord-bro, and that is the unchillest kind of bro to be. And I'm sorry but Dino Walrus were not noteworthy. Feel like you want to write your own reviews for this site, and that's totally cool, but bashing other people is a really unchill way to go about trying to do that.
Also, while I'm here I'd like to say that Mindy's shots are nearly as lovely as she is (and that's saying a lot)! I saved her life multiple times in the mosh pit, and in some cultures that would mean that she has to be my slave until she returns the favor (via Morgan Friedman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). I'm just saying.
are protective headphones the new way of major rock posturing?
172399 @disappointed: bro bro unchill bro why would you want to have actually known what the show was like bro don't be unchill bro bro. Because everything in life is boiled down to CHILL and UNCHILL. On a serious note, thanks to Apples of Dischord for filling in some of the gaps on a show I was sad to miss. Definitely check out TA's new vid/love letter to NJ if you all haven't seen it.
172422 @Phelps: JOKES!
Good call Phelps. Video is tight.
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