The Wrens bared their souls at a sold-out show at the Black Cat Friday night, engaging the crowd and banishing their troubles with every anguished guitar blast.
One of the older indie bands playing today (the players' ages range from mid-30s to early 40s), the Wrens still captured the energy of the mostly youthful audience. Playing together for 15 years has tightened the New Jersey band into a unit, making its music more forceful and compelling. The Wrens' sincerity comes through in every song, offering authenticity rarely found on mainstream radio.
The Wrens played mostly from their critically acclaimed 2003 album, "The Meadowlands." They opened with a spacey version of "This Boy's Exhausted," cooled down to play "Meadowlands" introduction "The House That Guilt Built," and then escalated their energy to a peak in the raucous "Per Second Second" and "Everyone Chooses Sides." Every member of the band sang and on one tune selected members of the audience to be percussionists.
Bass guitarist and singer Kevin Whelan was especially animated in his performance. He entered the stage rocking a parka, and after only a few songs you could guess why his guitar was duct-taped to the strap. He opened the song "Happy" stomping to the beat, and when he arrived at the microphone sweating like mad, his lyrics shifted seamlessly from lovesick to heartbroken and then finally to unbridled fury. Later, during new-wave rocker "Faster Gun," Whelan jumped on Charles Bissell, knocking the singer-guitarist to the floor.
Whelan later offered an explanation for his enthusiasm, telling a story about how he and Bissell had come to a particularly rocking show at the Black Cat 10 years earlier. Whelan then cheerfully pointed out the spot he had vomited.
Opening bands The Upwelling and Army of Me were bland in comparison. Vince Scheuerman, Army of Me's singer, wore a Valley Forge soldier uniform to justify the band's name, but the group's sound never quite equaled the forceful attack of the Wrens' "Everyone Chooses Sides." They weren't terrible, but after unintentionally seeing them several times and still failing to recognize any of their songs, you might say they're forgettable.
The Upwelling was likewise unmemorable. The New York City band pairs two grungy-looking guys on guitar and drums with a keyboard player resembling Corey Matthews of "Boy Meets World." Their sound was comparable to bands like the Killers and the Bravery, but far less catchy and danceable.
Thankfully, the bad taste left by the two openers was eliminated by the Wrens. After the band encored with a passionate performance of "She Sends Kisses" and the band left the stage, the audience cheered until the house music came back on.
