| « Charlatans Show 9/18 @ Double Door Postponed | Preview: Shonen Knife @ Schubas: Tuesday, 9/21 » |
Concert Fri Sep 17 2010
Review: Nylon Music Tour @ Double Door, 9/11
Spending the night with a bunch of drunk people having an electro dance-off while a shirtless dashing man acts as your ringleader isn't a bad way to spend a Saturday night. Last weekend the Nylon Magazine music tour rolled into town at Double Door, bringing along with them a bill of synth happy bands with headliner Kele (of Bloc Party fame).
Kicking off the night was Innerpartysytem with their brand of glitchy dance pop. Live, they reminded me a lot of the Aussie dance floor duo The Presets, with a lot of synthesizer (a common theme of the night) and a pretty display of lights backing them. It was a good start to the ongoing dance party that would take over the Double Door all night.
Next was Does It Offend You, Yeah? Sadly their lead singer was sick, as the band informed us, but they still churned out a good set, keeping the crowd rowdy with witty banter and steering away from their more melodic tracks. When they dropped standout tracks "Battle Royale" and "Rockstars," it was clear they won over the crowd, keeping the floor moving for their entire set, lack of singer be damned. Check out their latest track "We Are The Dead" to see what you were missing last weekend.
Kele rounded out the set, bounding onstage full of energy and all smiles, a different demeanor compared to the few times I've seen him with his band Bloc Party. I've always been a fan of Bloc Party's albums, but never enjoyed them live the few times I've seen them, always finding them distant and boring. Kele seemed a lot more relaxed, cracking jokes with the audience, and even complying with booing fans, taking off his Houston jersey because it wasn't a Bulls one. Which in hindsight was probably a good idea since things were about to get really sweaty.
Kele's set obviously showcased his new solo album, The Boxer. The Boxer is a bit lackluster at times, the standout tracks obvious on the first listen, the rest a bit too polished dance floor bore. But live the music is more aggressive, adding a much needed edge that elevates it. Notable tracks of the night included "Walk Tall" with its disjointed hand clap production, single "Tenderoni" where Kele sounds like he's channeling Princess Superstar on the dance floor, and the bittersweet "Everything You Wanted" a dance ballad that is the male equivalent of Robyn's "Dancing On My Own." His solo material is more of a club sound than his work with Bloc Party, and he seems more in his element here. If you came to dance, then you found the right place.
