Lucksmiths, Ladybug Transistor, Still Flyin' at DC9
Sunday shows usually result in small crowds, but that wasn't the case at DC9 this weekend for a solid triple bill. We'd seen and enjoyed The Lucksmiths and The Ladybug Transistor before at the venue and they didn't disappoint this time. The two were joined by Still Flyin', a massive collective that plays indie-tinged old-school reggae who we'd been looking forward to seeing.
Melbourne, Australia's The Lucksmiths play quirky, sweet, super catchy indie pop, and their accents add to the charm. They have a bit of a twist live too: lead singer Tali White is also the drummer, and he plays standing up. The band is touring behind its new rarities/singles/covers double disc, "Spring a Leak," but the songs don't sound like B-sides — "Camera Shy" was a highlight, and the happy music was a good way to end the night.
The Ladybug Transistor plays a different breed of indie pop, more literary and mature, which fits in with their home on Merge Records. Gary Olson sings with a distinctive baritone, and some songs are jazzy, with saxophone and a more syncopated rhythm, and some are folksier. Unfortunately, despite the solid performance, the midt-empo songs tended to blend together in concert.
More of a collective than a band, the San Francisco-based Still Flyin' picks up and drops off members as it travels, like an indie amoeba. There were at least 15 people on stage at DC9 and some concern when a few band members hadn't arrived minutes before they were set to go on. That's probably not too unusual for the band, who sometimes have to get creative when playing at a small venue — Bren Mead, one of the Flyinettes, the band's set of backup singers/percussionists, told me before the show that at the previous night's gig in New York, the horn section had to line up offstage along the club's side wall and play into the crowd. But thankfully, everyone arrived on time here.
The band filled up the stage, with guitars, drums, keyboards, horns, and even a dancer a la the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Many of the band members play in other groups too, like tourmates The Ladybug Transistor, The Aislers Set, Love Is All, Maserati. Band-founder Sean Rawls also plays in Athens, Georgia's Je Suis France (who played a fun set at DC9 a few weeks ago) and Masters of the Hemisphere. The group even picked up a few members in Sweden on a recent tour there.
The band's mix of rocksteady and ska with a little dub and some good old fashioned indie rock got the crowd moving, with a few folks skanking along to the beat. Despite so many instruments in a small space, the band's sound was loud and clear, thanks in part to bringing their own sound man along. And like other large bands (Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, etc) the sheer size makes for an impressive show, and the fun, danceable songs appealed to non-reggae fans too. We hope the mass makes their way back to D.C. soon.
Photo of Still Flyin' by Andrew Wiseman