Oxford Collapse/Takka Takka @ Black Cat
"This is the song that’s made us whatever we are today," said Oxford Collapse singer/guitarist Michael Pace upon introducing "Please Visit Our National Parks." He then added, "I have no idea what that is." This sense of confusion over the Brooklyn trio's place in the indie rock paradigm is understandable.
On the one hand, the band has a contract with "underground" behemoth Subpop Records and has played to sizable crowds, such as during the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival. On the other hand, probably only music bloggers, college radio music directors and existing fans knew that they released their newest album on that label, Bits, last week. The list of bands that they've played with/opened for reads like a Who's Who of next big things: We Are Scientists, Band of Horses, Love As Laughter, Annuals, Frightened Rabbit (among others.) Yet their own Black Cat Backstage show didn't even threaten to sell out.
Thursday night's show was the third time in three months that Oxford Collapse has visited the Black Cat, and was their second time within that period with fellow Brooklynites Takka Takka. Much like Oxford Collapse, Takka Takka is touring in support of a recent release (Migration) and brought out very vocal fans. The songs off of Migration sounded more energetic than their cuts off of last year's We Feel Safer At Night, but no less introspective. Although on occasion their brand of sometimes mopey big-city folk felt like a cut from The OC's soundtracks, the guitar was reminiscent of some of the Velvet Underground's less spazzy experimental work, and while performing the title track to We Feel Safer At Night, singer Gabe Levine looked like he was reaching out for some intangible specter. Or else he was possessed by whatever ghost it is that haunts Yeasayer.
This was not to say that the band lacked any degree of fun. They claimed that The Black Cat was their "favoritest" venue ever, and when a goofy fan asked singer Gabe Levine to "take it off," he quipped in a sing-songy voice, "Uh oh. That's not on the setlist!"
Still, the energy exuded by Takka Takka paled in comparison to the magnetism of Oxford Collapse. Bassist Adam Rizer didn't even wait until Takka Takka's set was finished to start dancing around (in the audience, of course), and once he arrived onstage, he dropped himself to his knees, jumped out into the audience and threw himself around the stage. This got the crowd excited. The band introduced themselves as "Stumble Collapse" after getting tongue-tied, and Pace thanked the Black Cat crowd for getting them through the mental block that inevitably follows a day resting at home.
But if the band was performing at a subpar level, it wasn't obvious. They delivered a splintering set filled with songs from their past couple of albums that provided some unconventional twists, such as using the bass as the lead instrument, and changing the time signature before finishing the song. Yet they still prompted sing-a-longs, and the remaining crowd actually brought them back for an encore. Yes, at the backstage. When they finished off the set with "Lady Lawyers", no one remaining in the room cared what level of success this band has reached. They just knew that "whatever they are" was good.