This show was rescheduled to last night because the 1990s were delayed by the volcano eruption. That gave the whole evening the mark of being an afterthought. Though there was a sizable crowd, it wasn’t packed, and the bill itself felt very strange. The Oranges Band played first. They are four guys who are extremely proficient at their instruments playing really boring songs. I might hire them to be a bar band if I owned a bar, but I couldn’t find anything to be excited about in their well-worn rock tunes.
The 1990s, from across the pond, were up next, also playing well-worn songs. They pumped out incredibly happy, nearly cliche tunes that were almost insufferably sugary. Luckily for them, it all somehow turns out charming. I think it was the accents and the A+ three part vocal harmonies. It’s always fun to watch a band where every member is singing, even if the music isn’t going to stay with you past your walk home.
The lights faded to a deep red (a photographer’s worst nightmare, hence the cheesy black and white) and Crystal Stilts graced the stage with their immediately mysterious presence. The band has cultivated a great look and feel that translated really well to the larger Bell House stage. I’ve only seen them before at tiny places like Cake Shop. When I think of Crystal Stilts, I think of grey and gloom and un-similing faces. The singer presides humorously over the proceedings, crooining cooler-than-thou lyrics the length of the set. The music is good and inventive; the lead guitar player is really the whole substance and focal point of the group. He’s a dynamic, clever player, and in my estimation, is what takes the band further than tough shell that they work so hard to put forth. Unfortunately, their presence can only take them so far. The songs get boring, and my friend and I were left pondering what exactly it is that can take a band from having great presence and good songs to being a great band all around. Crystal Stilts are an uber-cool New York City band, but all their work on their mood and appearance has left them without that extra emotional give that a band really needs to connect with their audience. They need to give a little more away. Just a little.
Oranges Band:
The 1990s:
Crystal Stilts:
