Local Natives w/ Suckers @ The Basement 4/30/10

I have been excited about going to this show for at least a few weeks if not a month and I was not the only one. When I showed up to try to buy my advance ticket yesterday from Grimey's at noon the show at been sold out for several days, but I was informed that I might have a chance at getting in the door if I was one of the first 50 people in line when the doors opened that evening. I got to the venue around 8 something and was able to get in no problem, but it wasn't much longer after I arrived that they stopped letting people in. Some of my friends had been there since 7...keep in mind the show started at 10pm. When there is a line 2 hours before doors, you know that you've got something special. The excitement of all who were in attendance felt almost tangible. Since there was so much down time, I got a chance to catch up with Kelcey (left), one of the singers and keyboard/guitar player for Local Natives, who also happened to be working the merch table at the time. He said that some of their main influences are The Beach Boys, The Beatles and Motown, which all become very clear when listening to their music after knowing this. In addition to these influences, he also cited Owen Pallett, who composes the strings for Arcade Fire. Also, when I asked him what he had in the van CD player right now, he said that the band is really into the new Bear In Heaven album and that they have been listening to that a lot lately. As the crowd around the merch table grew, I stepped back outside and enjoyed some fresh air before subjecting myself to the humid air that comes from being in the Basement when it's packed.

As ten o'clock rolled around, Suckers took the stage, and everyone piled in, ready for some music. Suckers (guitarist, right) was a band that I was completely unfamiliar with until last night. There were several songs that I enjoyed and their set got progressively better as the night went on. They played for about forty minutes or so and when they left the stage it seemed that the excitement really set in.

Everyone in the audience was all smiles as Local Natives carried their gear on stage. People were picking out pieces of songs, as the band checked their gear, and talking about how much they loved that particular song. Once they ran through a quick line check the band got cranked up and started off. About halfway through the first song the bass went out and so the jokes and stories ensued while it was being fixed. As soon as it was fixed, they announced they were starting fresh and kicked off the same song, which ended up being more awesome than the time the did it just moments before. This show was like a greatest hits show, but for a band that has only released one full length. Everyone in the audience was singing along to every song, making it feel as if the band and the audience were one. Song after song, as soon as the first chord was played, you could hear people scream with excitement. On top of having great songs, putting on a great show and being great musicians, all of the members of this band were incredibly friendly.
Tell all of your friends to go see this band while they are still playing in intimate settings because it is not going to be long before they are playing in bigger rooms.

Tour Dates and Music:
www.myspace.com/localnatives