Austinist Show Review: Tapes 'n Tapes 'n Then Some

Last night’s Tapes ‘n Tapes show was pretty boss, even though Bruce Springsteen never showed, which wasn’t a surprise, really, since he was never even rumored to show up, anyway. Is it wrong to secretly wish that The Boss might drop by for a song or two at some random venue? No, it’s not. [Ed. Note -- where are we going with this?] Regardless, the show was great. All three bands -- Cold War Kids, The Figurines, and Tapes ‘n Tapes -- were poised to rock your socks off and compulsively smell them. Metaphorically speaking, of course. [Ed. Note -- where are we going with this?]

First up, Cold War Kids: this LA band features a pretty savage sound that frequently flirts with the sublime. Their late entrance and hasty setup only served to further their raw musical aesthetic; these guys really “feel it” when they’re on stage. To see them effortlessly slip into their musical trance out of chaos was really impressive. The music itself features abundant grooves and sweet melodies, and Nathan Willet’s vocals are the most salient feature of their sound. It’s like Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley had a baby that they taught to dance like Joe Cocker.

And then there were The Figurines. Ever seen Pulp Fiction? That scene where Samuel Jackson calls Marcellus Wallace and asks for help, and he then sends the Wolf? Yeah, well, these guys are the Harvey Keitel character from Pulp Fiction of the rock world. They’re efficient, tight, and they don’t come on too strong. The Figurines know the exact formula for rocking you: take a dash of flannel cowboy shirts, a pinch of windmill guitar antics, and vigorous rhythms and viola! booty shakes. It was uncanny how they took to the stage and crisply rocked for the proper amount of time. The Danes do it right, and last night’s performance was evidence enough. Next time you need to rock a body give The Figurines a shout.

Finally, Tapes ‘n Tapes took advantage of the well-warmed crowd and got off to a swift start. Their set was an ideal finish to the evening. “In Houston” was particularly boisterous and frenzy-inducing, while their live rendition of “Omaha” was as melancholic and aching as you’d expect it to be. Their live show is surprisingly true to their rough and tumble studio sound, though it's important to note that you can’t get live tuba action, sleigh bells jingling, or Cold War Kids cameos on vinyl, CD, or MP3. Hope you caught this one, because at $4 a band it was totally the deal of a lifetime.