The sold-out show at the Rock and Roll Hotel filled early Tuesday night as Omaha indie rockers Tilly and the Wall hit the D.C. scene. The band played several songs from its past two albums, "Wild Like Children and "Bottoms of Barrels."
Opening band Pash, D.C.-locals and up-and-comers in their own right, played to an overly crowded room. The local kids' energetic set was an excellent prelude to the rest of the show. Their sound was exhilarating and refreshing, though heavy instrumentation overshadowed lead Meredith Munoz's brilliant voice.
Omaha-based Capgun Coup - who are, like Tilly, signed to Team Love records - kept the mood up by encouraging the already excited crowd to sway its hips, which is always impressive in notoriously stiff D.C. They can best be described as an amalgam of bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, The Unicorns and the Velvet Underground.
Capgun's set sounded remarkably good for the cramped venue, which often contributes to distorted sound. However, their set cannot escape critique, as vocals were eclipsed by their instrumentation, much like Pash.
That aside, Capgun remained surprisingly true to the sound on their album "Brought to You by Nebraskafish." It was a perfect transition to the sound everyone had really come to hear.
If you have heard of Tilly and the Wall, you know they have a tap dancer instead of a drummer. While the concept might seem overly precious, the execution is anything but.
And while a drummer was present last night, percussionist/dancer Jamie Pressnall was still the star of the show. A huge knot of girls standing near the front of the stage sang along to every word and looked longingly at Pressnall's tap shoes and tutu, perhaps reminiscing about a childhood of dance lessons. Pressnall's flamenco-like tapping provided the perfect note of exuberant energy to the show.
Singers Neely Jenkins' and Kianna Alarid's voices were amazingly beautiful and crisp, especially during "Lost Girls," which, better than any song, showcased their formidable talents. Guitarist Derek Pressnall also lent his voice to several songs, providing a perfect complement to Jenkins and Alarid.
While Tilly and the Wall's two albums are excellent, but nothing compares to seeing them live. They have an enthusiastic energy that forces you to grin. You can tell they are having fun onstage and communicate well with each other.
Tilly's perfectly constructed pop melodies provided a perfect antidote for mid-March; their sweet but never saccharine songs bring to mind a warm summer night running through a field of wildflowers. The wildflower part may seem a bit hokey, but there is no denying the flawlessness of their hooks.
New single "Beat Control," which is a departure from the rest of Tilly's catalogue, is more synth-y, more beat-driven and even more danceable, if that's possible. It was a highlight from the show, but not the only one.
Along with "Beat Control," Tilly played a few other new songs mixed with old fan favorites. While "Beat Control" will not be on the new album, Tilly's successful D.C. engagement surely made fans salivate over their upcoming album, due June 17.
