Perhaps you’ve been to one of those shows where the crowd – for whatever reason – keeps a ten foot distance between themselves and the stage. We’ve seen it before (last summer’s Clientele show at Iota comes to mind), but it baffles us every time. Seems to be that those expecting a night of folk-pop or softer stuff don’t want to get too close to the stage, lest they embarrass the performer or something.
Luckily, The Pernice Brothers seem like the kind of guys who don’t get fazed very easily. They hit the Black Cat Wednesday night on the last leg of a tour in support of their latest, Live a Little, and quietly turned in one of the strongest performances we’ve seen this year. One of the more underrated bands these days, they’re not the kind that jumps out at you. Their strong latest release got shafted a little by a certain online music site, probably because often times, their recorded material comes off too glossy, with lead singer Joe Pernice’s vocals too treated and none of the understated hooks standing out from the mix.
Live, the band had a lot more bounce in their step right from the onset, with the opening Phil Spector drum-thump of “High as a Kite” and the rollicking breakup tune “Weakest Shade of Blue.” Somehow – probably to the disbelief of the great majority of the DCist readership – the Black Cat managed to make their even blend of folk, pop, and twang sound great. Pernice’s formal, annunciated delivery came through loud and clear, and the electric guitars were perfectly crisp and with just enough crunch throughout.
Of course, that Pernice had behind him a virtual all-star team of East Coast power-pop – Patrick Berkery (also of Mazarin and the now-defunct Bigger Lovers) on drums and Peyton Pinkerton (of Boston stalwarts New Radiant Storm King) on guitar joining José Ayerve on bass and James Walbourne on guitar, keys, and sax – helped a lot. To put it bluntly, these songs don’t always sell themselves. Pernice tends to play his melodic cards close to his chest, dealing more in craftsmanship and subtlety than in big, meaty hooks. But with a kickass band behind him – albeit one that you can tell would just love to break loose once in a while – every detail gets nailed.
