I already spent a good amount of time this week praising debut album Technicolor Health from the Brooklyn-based Harlem Shakes. (Why Harlem Shakes if they hail from Brooklyn? Easy. It’s their fave dance move.) But I’m going to spend some more time on it anyways because I went to see these boys last night at their record release party and they were hands-down FANTASTIC. I mean, just really outstandingly awesome live and nothing makes me love a band more than when they they sound exactly the same in person as they do on the album. I want to stand up and cheer, “Musical talent is still alive out there somewhere! HURRAH!”
Since this was one of those impossibly trendy hipster shows out in Brooklyn (I wore my one plaid shirt!) the group didn’t take the stage until 11:30 PM. I missed most of the opening acts but managed to catch the end of the Suckers set. We’ll um… just move on from that shall we?
Harlem Shakes opened with “TFO” which was a stellar choice as the song starts off fairly calm and soft then steadily gains momentum so the crowd gently swayed in place before bursting into a mad dance frenzy. Stellar highlights of the night in no particular order:
1. Keyboardist Kendrick Strauch and I totally locked eyes as he was setting up and sang Aretha Franklin to each other for like… maybe thirty seconds. I fell in love with his ’stache. Then I saw his wedding band. TRAGEDY.
2. A ways into the set, this crazed insane fan shoved his way through the crowd and came barreling up to me. He insisted that I push my way up to the stage and when I refused (cause that is rude) he screamed, “If you don’t I will!” Taking stock of this situation as he was massive and I am tiny, I elbowed a few people out of the way. Fortunately this was right as the band kicked into my favorite groove “Sunlight” so I listened to the best track whilst clutching the stage and looking up at Todd Goldstein in awe. It was amazing. Thanks crazy guy.
3. Speaking of Todd Goldstein, this guy is NUTS. He is the “O-face” times a million. He can’t seem to play guitar without holding his mouth open in shock and jumps all around like a three year old with ADHD. I’ve seen a lot of bands and it would be hard to match his energy. When I first heard of his two side projects, ARMS and the sea & the gull respectively, I was all “Geesh, when does this guy sleep?” Now I understand. Love it by the way. Just love all of it. LOVE. IT. In fact, the whole band is sort of spazzy EXCEPT for lead singer Lexy Benaim. I think this is so unbelievably cool. Usually the lead singer is a total attention hog but not this guy. He chills out and sings it straight while the aforementioned guys and bassist Jose Soegaard and drummer Brent Katz all go berserk around him. Brent Katz looks like Animal from the Muppets on his kit. Not that he actually physically resembles Animal but the movement. Oh… you get it.
4. They returned to their EP Burning Birthdays to play both “Carpetbaggers” and “Old Flames.” I was so glad they didn’t just play the new album straight through or something equally lame like that.
5. While the show would no doubt end with “Technicolor Health,” they also played “Winter Water” during the encore. PERFECT CHOICE. It is one of the more complex songs on the album and I was waiting for it, I would have been disappointed not to hear it and making me wait until almost the very last possible second made me appreciate the song all the more.
STELLAR SHOW. One of the best I’ve seen this year.
