Vivian Girls - Wild Eyes
It was fun times at the sold out Vivian Girls show at the Smell last night. They battled through thick crowds, humid temps, and no backline to deliver a surprisingly tight set.
You have to respect The Smell. It's the archetypal ramshackle venue that you remember from high school. It's a shoebox with high ceilings, awkward stage placement, bad sightlines, no ventilation, a total bottleneck near the bathrooms, and some kind of stand selling something organic or vegan (in my day it would've been a food not bombs table). In this it is perfect. And as a youth you're willing to overlook these things and embrace them. They're the things they you learn to love about venues, and you can cherish their imperfections.
You have to respect The Smell. It's the archetypal ramshackle venue that you remember from high school. It's a shoebox with high ceilings, awkward stage placement, bad sightlines, no ventilation, a total bottleneck near the bathrooms, and some kind of stand selling something organic or vegan (in my day it would've been a food not bombs table). In this it is perfect. And as a youth you're willing to overlook these things and embrace them. They're the things they you learn to love about venues, and you can cherish their imperfections.
That said, it's still got bad sightlines and the sound is always too loud and it's hot as a motherfucker in there even in the dead of winter. With a sold out show it's a struggle to see the band, especially when last night's openers The Nodzzz played on the floor instead of the stage. Their Dead Milkmen-esque punk was actually pretty cool, and I'd like to see them again under different circumstances, but it was tough to push your way close enough to get a good view. They were followed by Abe Vigoda, who did their usual thing. They seem to be stagnating a bit, playing to the same crowd and not earning many new fans. Their songs are good and they make them fun in the live setting, but they can't seem to get out of the Smell's shadow at times.
After that we had the Vivian Girls who were way better than I expected. Some times they sound like Lookout Records punk from the mid-'90s, and sometimes they sound like deep melodic shoegaze. They've got some chops and they bring their A game, which is always nice to see. They're as charming as you'd want them to be and they make due with the Smell's adequate soundsystem. Apparently they're doing this whole tour with just a bass, guitar and one snare drum. They borrow everything else on the night of the show and cruise the country in a hybrid with minimal baggage. This is something that only girls are getting away with, but why not, right? They played some old hits, including the b-side to the Wild Eyes 7"s which is sold out. They actually lived up to the hype, which is awesome. We don't have enough charming girl bands with personality and spirit. It was a fun show.
After that we had the Vivian Girls who were way better than I expected. Some times they sound like Lookout Records punk from the mid-'90s, and sometimes they sound like deep melodic shoegaze. They've got some chops and they bring their A game, which is always nice to see. They're as charming as you'd want them to be and they make due with the Smell's adequate soundsystem. Apparently they're doing this whole tour with just a bass, guitar and one snare drum. They borrow everything else on the night of the show and cruise the country in a hybrid with minimal baggage. This is something that only girls are getting away with, but why not, right? They played some old hits, including the b-side to the Wild Eyes 7"s which is sold out. They actually lived up to the hype, which is awesome. We don't have enough charming girl bands with personality and spirit. It was a fun show.
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