When we last saw Jacksonville’s Black Kids, they were priming the Black Cat mainstage crowd for Aussie electro-pop sensation Cut Copy. This time, they sold out the Black Cat in their own right, despite their former tourmates playing a larger venue just down the street. If there were any questions as to whether the Black Cat crowd merely contained dance-hungry kids who couldn’t get into the 9:30 Club show, they were warranted as even Black Kids singer Reggie Youngblood commented that even he wasn’t sure which show he’d pick, given the option.

“If any of you see any of the members of Cut Copy on the street tonight, give them a big kiss on the mouth and say that it was from me,” drawled Youngblood slyly. However, Youngblood seems to have learned his lesson since writing “Underestimated My Charm (Again)”, since he used it throughout the set to convince the Black Cat concertgoers that they had bought the correct ticket.

After equally danceable sets from Magic Wands and The Virgins (who seem to follow the same new wave inspired electro-pop formula as Cut Copy), The Black Kids attempted to blast our eardrums out with their between set song choices over the Black Cat PA system. The playlist read like a list of their influences: Prince, The Jackson 5, The Magnetic Fields and The Wu-Tang Clan were just a few of the songs used to prepare the crowd before they came out full force with Partie Traumatic closer “Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)”. The cheerleader-esque shouts of keyboardists Dawn Watley and Ali Youngblood worked seamlessly into “Hit the Heartbrakes”, a track they premiered on last year’s digitally released Wizard of Ahhhs EP.

Photo by haveweallgotthebends