Japandroids at Mohawk [Show Review]

Japandroids MySpace

Towards the end of Japandroids blistering set at Mohawk, a member of the audience yelled "Blow my fucking ears out!," followed by a rousing applause from the rest of the crowd. Upon hearing this, drummer David Prowse smiled and looked back at the sound man working the crowded inside stage and said, "You heard them, turn everything up!"

While this writer was aware of the benefits of bringing earplugs to a Japandroids show (especially in such a tight space), countless others weren't so lucky, and by the end of the end of the band's set, "I can't hear anything" was a common phrase circulating around the venue. However, Japandroids more than earned the right to induce temporary hearing loss. Combined with their frenetic playing and unbridled enthusiasm, Prowse and guitarist/lead singer Brian King led an all out frenzy on the tiny stage that ably proved why they are one of the most exciting indie rock bands to emerge over the last few years.

One of the primary sources of praise for the band has been the fact that they are masters of maximizing efficiency. At the Mohawk, with little more than Kings's fuzzed out guitar and Prowse's impassioned drumming, they were able to produce a sound that many bands with double the amount of members would envy. There was also plenty of proof that King and Prowse's dedication to pop motifs has helped to bolster their sound. Old standbys like "The Boys Are Leaving Town, and "Wet Hair" sounded just as fresh and vital live as they did two years ago on record, and plenty of fans joyously shouted along. Similar reactions were seen with non-album single "Younger Us" and the mosh pit inducing "Young Hearts Spark Fire," serving as further proof of the band's songwriting chops.

A few times during the set, the band would play a new song off their forthcoming album, and from the looks of things, it is shaping to up to be just as good as Post-Nothing. The duo performed these songs with the same kind of reckless abandon that they had displayed all night, despite a couple of the songs being more mid tempo. King rocked out on his guitar like a man possessed and Prowse beat the hell out of his drum kit like it were a dirty rug, proving that fans of the band have nothing to worry about. In short, whether it was a fan favorite or a song the band was playing for the first time in Austin, the entirety of the group's set was a blissfully noisy experience.

In addition to rocking harder than most bands on their circuit, King and Prowse are exceedingly entertaining and likable people. King thanked the audience for "putting up" with the new songs, and dedicated "Wet Hair" to the people who saw them play their first Austin gig at Emo's back in 2009. "I think I remember this one," he joked as the band started "Art Czars," a song they've rarely played on tour lately. Of course, this was all spoken at a million miles an hour in the most endearing way possible, and watching him pump his fist in the air upon successfully finishing a song showed fervor for his craft. Prowse's quip about turning the sound up was all one needed to know that he was there to please the audience, and he looked just as excited and grateful to be performing as King. It all contributed to the positive energy that made Japandroids such a fun band to watch and listen to. While some show goers may be spending this weekend with a slight ringing in their ears, there is no doubt they sacrificed their hearing to experience two men enthusiastically doing what they do best.

Japandroids: [official]