When Rob Schneider, the lead singer of the Apples in Stereo, joyfully sang, "The whole world is made of energy," at the Black Cat last Tuesday night, the crowd had no choice but to believe him. After all, the Apples were already halfway through its infectiously catchy set and were generating enough energy to power U Street for weeks.
This six-man indie rock band champions the kind of pure pop perfection that is rarely found anymore outside Beatles collections. It is friendly, unpretentious and upbeat-values reflected in the band's live performances.
True, Schneider is a somewhat acquired taste. He sounds like John Lennon meeting Brian Wilson at an oxygen bar. However, in person, the scruffy, balding singer/producer projects a charming, albeit slightly befuddled, persona.
He opened the set with "Skyway," a well-chosen track from the Apples' recent record, "New Magnetic Wonder." The song's appealing riffs, cowbell accompaniment and harmonious "do do do do" background singing set the tone for the night.
From there, the Apples played a variety of songs from its last several albums, including "I Can't Believe," "The Rainbow," "Please" and all the highlights of "New Magnetic Wonder."
Standouts from the new album included "The Sun is Out," with its irresistible plea to come outside and play, and "Same Old Drag," which is anything but. Live and playing new material, the Apples are rocking harder with a sound newer and more raw than on previous highly produced studio albums.
The band itself mixed competence with quirkiness. Keyboardist John Ferguson strode onto the stage in a shiny white jumpsuit complete with cape and light-up spaceman glasses. Bill Doss pulled out an actual melodica and played it in place of the trumpet intro on "Go."
The band didn't attempt any of the songs Hilarie Sidney took lead vocals on (she left the Apples in 2006). The band also didn't attempt any of the experimental "New Magnetic Wonder" tracks composed with vocoders and mellotrons, like "Hello Lola." Perhaps the band didn't think the crowd would welcome such a departure from the normal.
However, the crowd plainly adored the Apples, yelling back "No, thank you!" every time Schneider thanked the audience. The band returned the crowd's love, actually attempting to play requests, although after several tries Schneider still couldn't remember how to play "Green Machine" from 1995. This sparked an argument between Doss and guitarist John Hill about which motor vehicle was better, Big Wheels or a Green Machine, culminating in Doss declaring fervently, "I had a Green Machine even though Big Wheels were cooler. It's OK, you can be different!"
The openers, Georgia power-pop band Casper and the Cookies, certainly took that advice to heart. Casper Fandango took the stage in crushed gold velvet pants while his false-eyelashed guitarist, Jim Hicks, danced around him. The band has a playful stage presence and a psychedelic sound that made an impression on the audience.
"Hey, you guys are pretty good!" yelled a man in the crowd during a lull, in a tone of pleasant surprise. The audience appeared to agree, including Schneider himself, who was hiding his balding head under a hat and watching his opening band right from the audience.
