By: David de Young, Jen Paulson, Zosia Blue
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Digitata at the Best New Bands Showcase at First Avenue - Photo by David de Young (see the whole set here.)
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The Deaf
First Ave was sparse when punk-trio The Deaf took the stage, but halfway through the set girls with green hair and boys with green-hair envy pushed to the front, noses scrunched in punk appreciation. The Deaf are: cute, red-haired Stephanie on bass and vocals, screamy David on main vocals and guitar, and smashing Jack on percussion. A great opener for the night, the Deaf was a fun throwback to heart-attack paced old-school punk. Especially engaging was Stephanie, whose lighter-pitched intensity and rough bass-plucking hinted of Skunk Anansie. (Z.B.)
Digitata
The Pretenders were next. Or maybe it was Blondie? I couldn’t quite place the influence, but Digitata was a welcome surprise. Sweet, melodic and with more 80s synth than you could shake a Casio at, appropriately-named trio Digitata was my favorite act of the night. Lead singer Maggie Morrisson has a spooky Chrissie Hynde-esque voice that managed to keep the group from falling too far into 1986 (Chrissie Hynde is universal, don’t you know). Employing two members of Mel Gibson and the Pants (Ryan Olson and Drew Christopherson), I could see Digitata opening for Halloween, Alaska, with their heightened placidity and tinny-electronic drum sound. One song, which I unfortunately don’t have the name of (record store, here I come!) made me stop the bad habit of chewing on the ice in my drink and hold my breath a little. It was one of those melodies that ribbons your memory and makes all sorts of forgotten moments float back into consciousness. Digitata will next be playing at the Rock for Roe benefit at the Triple Rock this Sunday, January 22nd, and I double-highly-with-three-cherries recommend them. (Z.B.)
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Birthday suits guitarist Hideo - Photo by David de Young
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Birthday Suits
The last band I caught was Birthday Suits, and, wow, those guys rocked. I’m serious. I know “rocked” is a tired baggy grandma of a word, but I can’t describe their stage presence in any other way. The duo’s musical style is loud crashy punk with smart, ear-wormy hooks, but it’s the stage show that sells. During one particularly catchy song (“Slowly Motion,” from their 2005 release, Cherry Blue), lead singer Hideo leapt on his amp while drummer Matthew, with a beautiful mop of head-banging hair, wailed on the drums, in a style almost reminiscent of Kid Dakota drummer Ian Prince. I’m normally unimpressed by amp-leaping and stage diving and all the other gimmicks many bands painfully force upon the audience, but these guys were authentic in their physical energy and excitement. Birthday Suits were the only of the three bands I caught that managed to embrace and/or kick the shit out of the First Ave stage. The Deaf and Digitata were fantastic, but I’m looking forward to seeing them in a smaller, less intimidating venue. So here’s how it goes: The Deaf for your warm- up, Birthday Suits for your cardio, and then Digitata for a sweet, sweet cool-down. (Z.B.)
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Jesse Tomlinson (left) and Brian Vanderwerf of Chooglin
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Chooglin’
Just before Christmas, Chooglin’ gave Soul Asylum a run for their money in the opening slot at the veteran rock band’s holiday show at First Avenue. At the Best New Bands Showcase, Chooglin’ got their comeuppance when they had to follow equally stellar Birthday Suits. It was a tough job they handled easily by virtue of having a different story to tell, and by sheer numbers (they win 6 to 2 when you count the two horn players who joined them onstage for their last couple songs). Each member of Chooglin’ contributes to the musical tornado they whip up onstage. Up by the speaker stacks, chest cavities continued to resonate as they had during Birthday Suits, if only a slightly less frantically. Vocalist/guitarist Brian Vanderwerf’s cap was pulled down so low it was almost over his eyes at times. Jesse Tomlinson shreds the “other” but definitely not second guitar. The bass player wielded his instrument like a weapon. Drummer Shawn Walker sits on a stool so low it looks like a tuffet, but Little Miss Muffet he ain’t. Judging by the reaction of most audience members, there’s no question this band belonged on the bill. Miss ‘em? Check them out January 27th in the Entry with Koalas. (D.D.)
Duplomacy
If Chooglin’ seemed like a freight train bearing down on you at about 80 miles an hour, the Andy Flynn-fronted Duplomacy was more like a slow drive in the country with a somewhat wistful breeze in your hair. Like a couple of the other bands on the bill, Duplomacy have some work to do to energetically fill the main stage of First Avenue. But what they lacked visually, they more than made up with their lush sound, and even the lighting cooperated to bring the mood down a notch. Sound-wise there’s some overlap here between Valet and Romantica, their musical neighbors on 2024 Records, but that’s a good thing for both the bands and their burgeoning label. Duplomacy will release its first full-length CD this spring. (D.D.)
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Duplomacy at First Ave
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Kill The Vultures
Kill the Vultures contains members of the now defunct Oddjobs, sans DJ Deeltax. According to their website there are four members, but this showcase featured only three. From the point of view of a first-timer, their formula seemed to be: take the drums and bass down a notch, throw in some experimental ambient and often jazzy touches, and then add rhymes over the top. Out of seven bands, six were pretty much rock, so I was looking forward to their self-described “Beatnik Hip-Hop.” There was good chemistry between frontmen Crescent Moon& Nomi, but I could have used a little more hip-hop. (J.P.)
God Damn Doo Wop Band
God Damn Doo Wop Band, a girl-fronted-group with a backing band of misfits - who initially conjured up an image of those singing/dancing shows at amusement parks - was just plain a lot of fun. This town needs more old-time girl group action like this. It’s too bad that they were at the end of the show, as the First Ave crowd had thinned by after midnight and they should have been experienced by all. It's not your average stand around and tap your foot kind of show. And yep, that was Jon Kuder of Melodious Owl on sax. If you've heard their name, and it piqued your interest, God Damn Doo Wop Band is at the Entry February 4th. (J.P.)
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Birthday Suits, Chooglin', Digitata, Kill the Vultures, The Deaf, The God Damn Doo Wop Band
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