Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, and Harlem Shakes at the Black Cat

I know this blog has been very music heavy recently (it isn't called File Under Sound for nothing) and that will continue for the next several posts as I gather my thoughts on the concerts I recently attended. I promise that the subject matter will venture off into new territory periodically. It just so happens that music is a big part of my life and their have been some interesting concerts rolling into DC over the past few weeks. Other than a busy work schedule and wildly inconsistent sleep patterns and overall sleeping problems, I have not done very much else with my time recently. That will change over the coming weeks. Until then, on with the concert reviews and music discussions.

Last week I saw Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, and Harlem Shakes at the Black Cat. This show was the first of 4 concerts I would be attending over a 7 day period. I had heard a few Tokyo Police Club and Born Ruffians songs before the show, but I did not own any of their albums. In the past I would have passed on going to a show like this one where I was not that familiar with the bands. However, I was not going to let that stop me this year. Some of the best concert experiences happen when you discover new music. I was hoping that this show would be one of those experiences. Thankfully, it was a great experience.

Pre-Show Notes:

• I once again ate at Alberto's Pizza before the show. What can I say? It is quick and damn tasty.
• The show was a sell-out, which meant a long line to get into the club. Unfortunately, most tickets for shows at the Black Cat are picked up at will call (including my tickets for most shows) and there is only one line to get into the club. If you are on some guest list, then you can cut to the front and go in through the re-entry door. Otherwise, you are waiting in the regular line with the rest of us. Unfortunately, it was a cold night in DC. Made waiting outside for over 45 minutes to get in a little uncomfortable.

Openers Harlem Shakes are from Brooklyn and put on a pretty good set. The band uses driving guitars, funky keyboards, and harmonizing backing vocals to produce songs that were borderline anthems. I had read on the internet that the lead singer’s voice can be nasally. While I could that point, I didn’t find the vocals to be overwhelmingly nasally. Overall, I came away from the set intrigued by the band. While I am not in love with Harlem Shakes, I am interested in seeing where they take their music going forward. They have a new album coming out this month. It might be worth checking out.

Next up were Born Ruffians. The band is a three-piece outfit from Toronto. They put on a really great set consisting of songs that were hard to categorize, which I think is a great compliment. The best analogy I could come up with is that Born Ruffians sound like a young The Cure (back when they were a three-piece) mixed with The Police and The Clash. The band uses a lot of jangly guitar lines and heavy bass and drum beats. I came away from their set thoroughly impressed. Their album Red, Yellow & Blue is also quite good.

Headliners Tokyo Police Club are also from Toronto (and obviously friends with the guys from Born Ruffians). They have been making noise in the Indie music world for a few years now. They are definitely a high energy alternative rock band, and that energy was exhibit on stage. Their song structures are somewhat unique, with heavy use of abruptly ending a song. Their style made for an entertaining show, though I must admit I came away from the concert as a whole more impressed with Born Ruffians. The highlight of the evening was the last song of Tokyo Police Club’s encore. All members of Harlem Shakes and Born Ruffians joined Tokyo Police Club for a cover of The Clash’s “Train in Vain.” The bands had fun with the song and it was a great way to end the show.