For having brought D.C. bands as lauded as The Ponys and The Black Lips onstage Saturday, the Black Cat seemed all too empty. But after music devolutionists and professional pansies Panthers finally vacated the stage, more of the District filed in to see the Lips' kiss-off to decency and The Ponys take on reviving punk.
Though only four band members made it on stage, openers Panthers are a Brooklyn quintet that has shared the stage with fellow New Yorkers The Rapture, Liars and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to name a few. But after Saturday night's performance, one is left puzzled as to how anyone could let the band step foot in the hallowed Bowery Ballroom, or even the Black Cat for that matter.
Neither genre wanting to claim this monstrosity, this bastard child of metal and emo's lackluster lyrics and nauseatingly clich? riffs failed to draw a crowd to the stage, concertgoers happier with their drinks in the back, dreaming of the show-redeeming bands to come. Surprisingly, Panthers' new album, "The Trick," was released on Vice Records, the same label as The Black Lips' incomparable debut, "Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo." Unfortunately for Panthers, as its title track forewarns listeners, "This trick won't do."
Unlike Panthers, The Black Lips' reputation as modern rockabilly punk forerunners precedes the band, and after a too-short 30 minutes on stage, one is left knowing why and wanting more. The band's snarling, choral vocal delivery is reminiscent of punk greats Richard Hell and the Ramones, both similarly influenced by Love and Bo Diddley, while their sexually-charged, soda-pop-and-bobby-socks arrangements reflect a Dead Boysesque punk and pop sensibility - not to be confused with limp-wristed pop-punk. The Lips managed to whip the crowd into a moshing, thrashing, shouting stew of enthusiasm, a stark contrast to the previous set.
However, the District's restrictive obscenity laws imposed ignominy on the usually insolent Lips, much to the timid attendant's pleasure. Those attending with expectations of the band's infamous antics, as recorded during Tijuana shows, were sorely disappointed - no Lips lip-locking or strumming six strings with unconventional body parts. The guitarists made a valiant effort to make it up to fans, though, with the lead spitting into the air and flinging his head back to catch what he had hocked and strumming with the pick clamped between his teeth, while the rhythm smashed a quickly-guzzled Corona bottle and jammed his finger up the neck for an impromptu slide, sending beer and shards of glass into the crowd. Even so, the Lips lived up to Rolling Stone's praise as being one of the best live bands today, with standouts "MIA," "Boomerang" and "Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah."
Chicago rock 'n' rollers The Ponys also distributed its own party favors - silly string and party poppers. That, coupled with the backlights turned blindingly bright and into the crowd, it was clear the band had planned a party, the audience being the guests of honor. Straight out of the gate, The Ponys set a galloping pace with a heavy, grungy Nirvana undercurrent peppered with Stooges-worthy guitar and Thurston Moore vocal comparisons.
Sadly, The Ponys' pace came to a halt mid-set, energy level dipping the moment vocalist/guitarist Jered Gummere switched from his crimson Gibson to keyboards, hollowing the band's sound and leaving a gaping hole in the too-long arrangements. In the end, they tried to go out with a bang, literally, as poppers exploded and silly string shot through the air, strumming and banging as hard as they could, aimlessly for the hell of it until everyone's ears rang and gun powder stung eyes and noses. It wasn't enough to incite much excitement for their garage-grunge rock, especially not after the Lips' incendiary raunch 'n' roll.
The Ponys and openers, of which The Black Lips should really get top billing, are slated to continue their tour in Philadelphia and New York's Bowery Ballroom. Perhaps Panthers will find more love waiting for them at home in the Big Apple, and hopefully The Ponys can get its act together by then. But while two of the three bands were disappointing, experiencing the Lips is well worth the price of admission.
