Knox Hamilton, a group of rising stars from Little Rock, delivered their indie pop sound to the U Street Music Hall on Oct. 22.
Before this year, the only people who had heard Knox Hamilton’s music were their friends and family. The band had been playing together on the side doing weddings and events. When they uploaded their EP “Great Wall” to Spotify, it gained huge traction, particularly the track “Work It Out.” After the song made it to number one on Alt Nation, the band realized it had something great on its hands. The members quit their jobs and started touring.
The band has clear chemistry on stage. You would never know it had only been on tour a few months. It took the stage humbly and set up its pedalboards and plugged in its mics. The intimacy of the venue allowed it to joke and interact with the audience as it set up. Its Arkansas roots were clear. Members dressed simply and made no attempt to be flashy. It was clear the band wanted its music speak for itself.
Frontman Boots Copeland made a few jokes about the cold weather and his need for a parka onstage before the band began to play. The band’s unique blend of alternative and pop energized the small crowd. The band played songs from its untitled upcoming album and from its EP. Crowd favorites included “Beach Boy,” and, of course, “Work It Out,” which had the crowd singing and dancing along.
After “Work It Out,” Copeland thanked the audience for singing along and promised that the next time the band was in D.C. the whole show would be like that. He promised a full album sometime at the end of this year.
The band finished with a song from the new album that really had the crowd dancing and clapping along. The band finished to applause, thanked the audience and opening band Cheerleader, unplugged its instruments, and left the stage.
With a blazing start and a new album on the way, Knox Hamilton is a band to watch.
