I have to admit that I was always kind of a peripheral fan of Zero 7, like everyone else in the world, I loved “In The Waiting Line” and songs like “Home” seeped into my subconscious without my permission. When I initially found out that they were playing a show on Thanksgiving Day, I was excited, but didn’t know if I would go out of my way to see them. Well, the fates stepped in and made my decision for me. I won tickets through Brightest Young Things (I never win anything!), and who passes up a free concert? Certainly not I. Stuffed with turkey and wine, I biked down in the miserable rain. The place was packed, way more people came out on a holiday than I ever expected, and I didn’t have to wait long to understand why.

Their set started off kind of low key, slow and calm, exactly what I expected. There were two female vocalists (who perfectly contrasted each other), and a few acoustic guitar jams, and a myriad of dudes running around, playing drums, keyboard, and fiddling with the sampler. I thought to myself, “Hmm, what a perfect show for a Thanksgiving evening”, I was already impressed. Little did I know what was yet to come. The singers left the stage, and things really started to heat up. One guy was working like Dr. Frankenstein in the laboratory, only this time on a monster sampler. The thundering bass began to supplant my heartbeat, and slowly, everything began to build to a level of electro-insanity, one I didn’t know Zero 7 was capable of. Had everyone not been so full, it could have easily turned into an epic dance party. Ten minute long jams were my favorite parts of the show, and not just because watching the performers dance was adorable, but largely because the sound quality in that space was incredible. The vocalists returned and everything came together in perfect harmony (pun, intended). They took up the tempo, and live sampling, and percussion added a whole other level of wonder. It’s always refreshing to see a group of musicians who are not only amazingly talented, but extremely passionate and invested. Though they ran through their more popular songs, I was more interested in their new material (prior to this show, I didn’t even know they had a new album out). At times it was like being in a dream, surrounded by so much positive energy. Not even the annoying guy that I gave my extra ticket to (and kept hitting on me) could bring me down from the high that was this show. They returned for the most epic encore, featuring a stunning acoustic version of “In The Waiting Line”, followed by an awe-inspiring instrumental jam. I immediately bought their album upon returning home, and while it is just as perfect as I remembered it, their live performance, the full body experience that it was, is what really makes it for me. You should definitely go buy it all the same (and absolutely see them live if you can!). Best show I’ve seen in months, and I will never be just a peripheral fan again.

Zero 7 – Mr McGee
Zero 7 – Swing

Also, this is the 111th post here at D.I.D., that’s got to count for something, right?

Tuesday night, I found myself at The Black Cat once more, to check out the show where Jerseyians Real Estate were opening for Girls. What a perfect show for a weekday night!

Real Estate kicked it off, opening to a considerable crowd, who all seemed pleased to see them. As my friend Ali described it, it “was a smooth sweet ride”, and I couldn’t agree more. The music washed over us and flowed together so smoothly, I could hardly discern the track shifts. It was more like being invited on a serene jam, in the best of ways. Also doesn’t hurt that they’re the nicest bunch of guys. As for all the lo-fi comparisons (guilty), here’s what frontman Martin has to say, “If we could record in the studio, I would do it in a second,” Courtney says. The Real Estate album, out on Nov. 17, “has definitely got a demo vibe. I think it sounds good for sure, but it’s not a choice we made to sound that way. It’s just the way it is.” Check the rest of the interview with the City Paper, here. I’m tempted to say, well I’m just going to say it, these boys definitely outshined their headliners, and it’s not just my personal opinion (or my Bennington bias), you could feel a definite shift in vibe from the crowd. Check out their previously posted tracks, here.

I didn’t really know much about Girls going into this whole experience. Much much much more low key than Real Estate, the general energy of the show took a dive. That being said, it wasn’t entirely unenjoyable, just unremarkable. A little bit more mopey than I usually take my coffee. The more upbeat tracks I can get into, and these recommendations come straight from the mouth of Ali Walton, with whom I agree wholeheartedly.

Overall, I had an enjoyable low-key evening with the occasional dancing (head bopping, gentle swaying and the like). Boys will be Girls, but that is some damn fine Real Estate (sorry I just had to squeeze in a little cheese).

Girls – Lust For Life
Girls – Laura

I awoke yesterday morning, and nonchalantly began reading Brightest Young Things, a local blog here in DC, and discovered that Cocorosie was going to be appearing at The Black Cat, and was miraculously, NOT sold out! One of my favorite groups at one of my favorite venues? Definitely not to be missed. Well naturally I put on my dancing shoes, grabbed a pal, and headed on down.

One of my favorite things about live performance is how much it can differ from recordings, obviously this can be manifested negatively as well as positively. In the case of Cocorosie, I think it was definitely a positive. It turned the show into a unique experience. It was immensely satisfying to see them playing toys, and of course hearing Sierra sing and play the harp is quite a mesmerizing experience. You could see how much passion everyone had for what they were doing, including the band. I went into it expecting it to be a little strange, and I was not disappointed. They definitely take the idea of costumes and performance to a new and mildly creepy place (but that’s one of the things I love most about their music), in which Bianca seems to play a major role. One of the top moments for me was definitely the realization that instead of drums, they had a guy live beat-boxing the entire time (that’s him in the background). So epic! “Japan” was the greatest crowd pleaser by far, and got everyone moving. Cryptic and haunting and beautiful, Cocorosie was everything I could have hoped for, and more.

Cocorosie – Japan
Cocorosie – Animals

Have a great holiday weekend, y’all.