Pela @ Rock and Roll Hotel
Some joyful men the likes of The Hold Steady's Craig Finn and Jens Lekman have graced D.C.’s stages over the past year, but all pale in comparison to the utter excitement exuded by Pela’s Bill McCarthy. Since their performance at DAM! Fest in October, Pela has had a rough couple of months. In addition to McCarthy’s 45 stitches in his hand, there was an allusion to a band member who went into the wilderness of his mind during that period, and a less than amicable split from their record label, Great Society Records. As it turns out, these challenges not only birthed four new songs, but the sort of fire onstage that made an already exciting live band put on a show that caused even lukewarm fans to leave with fists and hearts pumping.
The show began with sets from locals Red Racer (who I missed, thank you Nationals traffic) and Fever, who recall The Libertines but with fewer drugs, better drumming and a serious Jeff Buckley jones that was quite apparent on their song, “Amphetamine”. Then, Pela roared onstage with a cry of “D.C., if loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right!” The crowd clearly felt the love and there began a symbiosis as each fed off of the other’s energy. McCarthy started sweating through his T-shirt roughly three songs into the set, which is not terribly surprising given his penchant for climbing onto amplifiers and jumping into his band members’ faces. In response, the crowd became increasingly frenzied, shouting, clapping (even when uncalled for) and encouraging the band to make good on their pledge to play until 6 a.m.
Photo of Bill McCarthy from Pela by Kyle Gustafson
Pela played the driving, straight-up rock rock tunes they are known for, such as Anytown Graffiti's "Waiting on the Stairs" and "Lost to the Lonesome", but they also included some new songs in the set which incorporate keyboards, bringing a new texture to their sound. They also offered up a melancholy acoustic guitar track that McCarthy referred to as his, "depressing Vicodin music". The set included two covers, one of the Pixies' "Holiday Song" and a second that had everyone scratching their heads for later "conversation over vodka."
Through it all, one would think that the band hadn't seen a stage in years rather than months, they seemed so happy to be there. McCarthy quipped during "Philadelphia" that they were going to extend the instrumental for maximum boogie since, "I need to boogie! I have a sh***y life!" Still, by the end of blazing through what looked more like a second set than an encore and closing the place down with "Cavalry", everyone not screaming for more stood back in a state of shock that they'd been rocked that hard on a Monday night.