Monday night found the IU Auditorium awash in a sea of black frame glasses, plaid shirts and ironic facial hair. It could only mean one thing; indie bands playing the auditorium.
I was pretty much sold on liking the first band, Dum Dum Girls as soon as I saw they were rocking the Shangri-La's haircut and when they opened with a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire." As others have noted, Dum Dum Girls sound like a cross between the noise pop of Huesker Due and The Jesus And Mary Chain and Twee pop artists such as Tiger Trap and The Vaselines. The latter band's song "Dum Dum" is where the group gets its name and it's also a play on the Iggy Pop song, "Dum Dum Boys" from The Idiot. I found the group's songs to be very catchy and enjoyable to listen to. I often find that when going to a concert I rarely enjoy myself if I don't know the band's material very well.
I was much more familiar with the second act of the night, Beach House. Seeing their name listed on the bill was what sold me on going to the show in the first place. I'd describe the sound of Beach House as being like sitting alone on a beach at the of end of summer, feeling the warmth of day leave the sand, as the sun dips low over the horizon. It's not necessarily a melancholy sound, but a peaceful, calming one.
They did not disappoint. I was concerned that dream pop, a mix of processed guitars and ethereal vocals, might not translate to an interesting stage show, but I am happy to say that this was not the case. The visual aspect of their show was very well done. The careful use of light and color really helped set the mood and accentuated particularly dramatic and emotional moments during the band's set.
The headliners, Vampire Weekend, played a very enjoyable set. I have a feeling of ambivalence towards Vampire Weekend at times. I enjoyed the hooky pop melodies and the nods to Paul Simon's Graceland on the first album, but I sometimes found their lyrics to be insipid and naval gazing on the second album. I'll admit that the first time I listened to "Horchata" I almost snapped the CD in half when I heard the line "I'd look psychotic in a balaclava." Vampire Weekend had decent stage chops and lead singer Ezra Koenig did a nice job interacting with the crowd. The rest of the band looked as though they were having the time of their life, particularly bassist, Chris Baio, who danced around stage with his black Rickenbacker bass.
The crowd seemed to respond very enthusiastically to the band and it was a nice change of pace to have the first big concert of the year be an indie rock one. I hope the Union Board continues its string of getting great bands like Wilco and The Flaming Lips to play the IU Auditorium.
-Andrew Crowley
