Capital Cities lit up the 9:30 Club on Nov. 1 and brought its indie-electro sound to their D.C. fans.
Night Terrors of 1927 opened the show, referring to themselves as the “dinner matinee.” Though the comment had bitter undertones, the Los Angeles-based indie-rock outfit proved to be a talented bunch worthy of more enthusiasm than they received from the small crowd.
Following Night Terrors of 1927, electro-pop duo Sneaky Sound System hit the stage. Consisting of a DJ and vocalist, the group might have put on a better performance had it not been for its awkward stage presence. While the band put down good dance beats suitable for a club and got the crowd moving, vocalist Connie Mitchell had a slightly uncomfortable persona onstage, marching about in five-inch heels and bringing back some very repetitive robot moves from the ‘70s.
During the final set change, the missing audience members from the first two acts crowded in and filled the balconies and floor of the venue, leaving a full house for the headliner to come bouncing out. As the lights dimmed and the crowd roared, Capital Cities took the stage.
To say the band amped up the energy in the building would be an understatement. Opening with “Tell Me How to Live,” the band left the concertgoers cheering and proceeded to lead them in the “Capital Cities shuffle,” a dance the band unofficially trademarked consisting of just a few steps to the right, a few steps left and a spin. This choreography was performed during “Center Stage.” In each song, the voices of frontmen Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian blended perfectly to sound like one voice. The two also took time out of their set to have some fun with their fans, throwing belated Halloween treats like Xbox games and fabric softener into the crowd.
During with the show, the group flowed seamlessly from fan favorite “Kangaroo Court” into its rendition of The Bee-gee’s “Stayin’ Alive,” getting the entire crowd grooving to the new take on the classic hit.
In both of these songs, member Spencer Merwin wowed the venue with his spot-on trumpet solos. After playing more tracks off its debut album, “In a Tidal Wave of Mystery,” Capital Cities finished the first part of its set with its billboard hit “Safe and Sound” and left the stage.
After leaving the crowd hanging for a few minutes chanting for “one more song”, Capital Cities walked back out to play an encore consisting “Farrah Fawcett Hair” and a cover of Madonna’s “Holiday,” complete with drum solo by drummer Channing Holmes.
To round off the show, all members of the group abandoned their posts to guide the crowd in the finale. Asking for each audience member to “show some skin,” concertgoers removed a piece of clothing and used it, essentially, as a rally towel for a “Safe and Sound” remix, made famous by Cash Cash. The electronic dance beat in this remix left no soul standing still, with the entire audience jumping and rally towels waving. As the lights flashed, the band themselves raved on stage as though they were part of the crowd.
Capital Cities has shown that they are a high energy, feel-good performance for Washingtonian indie-electro fans. The effort the band puts forward to make its shows memorable is not in vain, and it’s only a matter of time before they come back to D.C. for more.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
