Live Review: Tokyo Police Club, Ra Ra Riot, and Vampire Weekend at Middle East Boston [8.12.07]

(Tokyo Police Club w/ Ra Ra Riot)

This tour and these bands are big news in NYC. They're good everywhere but in this city they sell out months in advance. So like sneaking over the border to Canada to purchase discounted prescription drugs, some friends and I traveled to Boston for some family engagements and to catch Tokyo Police Club, Ra Ra Riot, and Vampire Weekend at what turned out to be a packed, but not entirely sold out show. Sometimes, if it matters enough, you just have to get in the car. Not to say Boston didn't bring the heat. Kids were dancing and nodding and bouncing around and clapping with an un-inhibitedness you just don't see this far down Route 95. Boston might not be half the city that New York is and might not have even 20% of the music scene but they still know how to get up, get down, and leave the bullshit at the door.

The night started with Vampire Weekend and their brand of inoffensive, afro-beat indie rock. This band can write hooks for days but they're still a little one-dimensional in certain respects. Charming on-stage demeanor and a sound that might make you think of Paul Simon playing pop-punk songs circa 1991.

After a quick set change, Ra Ra Riot took The Middle East Downstairs to a separate and entirely winning plane. Injecting some new material and some slower songs, the band's set had wonderful pace and once the sound guy figured out how to handle string players, guitars, bass, keys and vocals (round about the 3rd song), they sounded great. The band got a prolonged ovation from the crowd after dedicating "St. Peter's Day Festival" to their fallen drummer, John Pike. A whole summer of tour dates behind them, they honored their friend in the most appropriate way possible. At some point, maybe even now, the band will get tired of hearing about how they are living in the shadow of loss and, honestly, what a fucking inspiration they are. But for now, let's say this - they brought the noise in Boston and closing with "Dying Is Fine," they had the whole crowd clapping hard enough to hurt hands. People have an emotional connection with this band now and it makes everyone want to elevate one another. And hope is never, ever a bad thing.

Tokyo Police Club brought their traditional frenetic pace down a notch and still managed to get the crowd in the end. Saving the "hits" from their first record until the back end of the set allowed for some new material to sneak in the front. Great energy, good new songs, and with the backing of Saddle Creek - the sky is the limit for the four skinny boys from Canada. The highlight of the night was a closing-cover of The Rentals' "Friends of P" where the boys and girls from Ra Ra took the stage to beat drums, shake tambourines and hug the crap out of everyone.

At the end of an amazing tour, two young bands shared the lights and brought the house down with predictable ease. Now, operator. Get me the fucking President of the World. This is an emergency.

(photos by elliot grossman and his iphone)