The sun beat down on us as we walked the clearing a pipeline company had made through the tall pine trees and wiry oaks. Four boys carrying BB guns, a machete and a feeling like we basically owned the place…a few acres of endless possibilities for adventure and trouble. Our days during the summer began with joking and laughing, then typically intensified because we went a little too far and by late afternoon someone was either mad or bleeding or both. For a few hours inside the packed, sweaty downstairs room of Fitzgerald’s, three young bands brought that memory back for me. A happy and upbeat set from Quel Night, raucous and adventurous songs from Pine Barons and then closed out by an amazingly intense set from The Districts. Hopefully, if someone left a little bloody they at least felt good about it.
Even though the stage was dimly lit, you could see that all five members of Quel Night were smiling from ear to ear. Before they began, a fan held up a shirt for the lead singer to see & with a grin she simply said “Yep, that’s us.” If Bloc Party had a better sense of humor & stronger lead vocals they’d sound as good as this band. They had the crowd moving from the first song to the last.
An audible murmuring came from the eager crowd as Pine Barons set up their gear. This was especially true when the bassist brought out what some people were calling a “steel drum” which was really just a marching band bass drum turned on its side. Either way, the same fans that had been pressed up against the stage from the beginning were immovable. These New Jersey boys ripped through their set only stopping momentarily to introduce The Districts drummer Braden Lawrence who sat in on the last song. Not to over-exaggerate, but I was wildly impressed.
As The Districts took the stage, screams and yelps from the audience of “ROB, WE LOVE YOU” and “CONNOR!!” were greeted with smiles from the band. Two seconds later they were thrashing and swinging guitars, basses, and drumsticks as if they’d just been swarmed by bees. I’ve seen solo acts at Fitz that didn’t make the stage feel as large. By the encore, I’m sure that every single inch of that stage was covered in sweat. Fists in the air and fevered handclaps during songs like “Funeral Beds” off 2014’s great five song self-titled EP and fans going absolutely pogo-dancing nuts during “Bold” from the recently released album A Flourish and a Spoil. As lead singer Rob Grote leapt into the crowd during the last song, it made me recall the energy and passion of bands like Delta Spirit or Tapes ‘n Tapes. That to-hell-with-it-all stage presence, beautiful distorted instrumentation and huge drumming that translates to larger stages. I fully expect to see The Districts get that opportunity sooner than later….ahem http://governorsballmusicfestival.com/
If I were you (which I’m not, but wouldn’t that be weird) I’d catch The Districts in Austin, TX during SXSW this week. No disappointments guaranteed.
3/18 – 1:00 pm Day Party In-Store Waterloo Records
3/19 – 2:45 pm Hype Machine / Consequence of Sound @ The Hype Hotel
3/19 – 11:00 pm Paradigm Talent Agency Showcase Parish Austin
3/20 – 2:45 pm The FADER Fort- 1101 E 5th Street (btwn San Marcos and Waller)
3/20 – 8:30 pm Paradigm Talent Agency – Music Showcase @ Stubbs BBQ
3/21 – 1:30 pm Rachael Ray Feedback Stubb’s BBQ
You can find Quel Night all over the Internet
https://www.facebook.com/QuelNight
https://quelnight.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/QuelNightBand
You can find Pine Barons all over the Internet
http://instagram.com/pinebarons
http://twitter.com/pinebaronsband
https://www.facebook.com/pinebarons
You can find The Districts all over the Internet
https://www.facebook.com/thedistrictsband
https://twitter.com/TheDistrictsPa