High energy level at Higher Ground Tokyo Police Club and Cold War Kids heat up stage

Author: Ramona Richards

You thought Cold War Kids were an indie rock band? Me too. But on April Fool's Day when the group played at Higher Ground in Burlington, they played surprisingly like a lounge act. The foursome produced a sound that was much jazzier than what can be heard on the Robbers & Cowards album, with lead Nathan Willet breaking piano strings all over the place. Willet's compared the responsibility of toting a piano with real strings to bringing an infant on tour - an exaggeration, I decided, since the changing of broken stings caused relatively little commotion between songs. It was worthwhile, however, to haul the genuine string-pounding piano along even if it made it easier for us to picture Willet in some candlelit dive as a solo pianist rather than lead of a rock band at Higher Ground.

Before the Cold War Kids took the stage, however, four beautiful and possibly pre-pubescent boys in very fitted jeans performed. Together they were the Tokyo Police Club. Having little to do with Japanese law enforcement, these young men rocked. While it would have been a challenge for them to steal the show from the headliners, their set was far superior in dancability than anything heard from Cold War Kids. Tokyo Police Club was harder, punkier and more succinct. The keyboardist tended to test his synthesizer effects before each new song, but we didn't mind getting a sample of what was coming because every song coming was good.

Cold War Kids started with "We Used to Vacation," and I was instantly impressed with the percussion. Drummer Matt Aveiro seemed to be on the verge of spiritual ecstasy every time he got to use his string of shells, and kept songs together with some skilled transitions. More stunning was guitarist Jonnie Russell's coordination in whacking a maraca against a cymbal that was precariously set atop a wooden crate. It sounds complicated because it was. I am still not sure how he managed this, especially while hunched with his instrument still strapped around him, but it was inspired.

The keyboardist of Tokyo Police Club provided a sequel to this maraca/cymbal/crate performance later in the set when Cold War Kids invited all members of both opening bands to join in for "Saint John." The bands brought onstage anything they could find to bang a stick on - an empty pony keg, a Grey Goose bottle that probably wasn't empty and the famed cymbal-on-a-crate as well as other sundry items. Audience members then witnessed twelve men onstage yelling, thrashing around and having a genuinely raucous time. Naturally, we followed suite. We couldn't help it.

The one downfall to a percussion section ten men strong is a very crowded stage and lots of flailing limbs. At one point we had to compromise between seeing it all up close and preserving our lives, because Matt Maust, Cold War Kids' bassist, had little control of the erratic motions of his instrument. He seemed to be playing the entire show while very much distracted by chronic itching and impatient spasms, surmised to be brought upon by some type of amphetamine. Fortunately he missed, though very narrowly, inflicting cranial injury to his lead singer who was seated at the piano, and even came close to decking some beloved, and totally defenseless, front-row enthusiasts.

Quite unfortunately, I did not arrive early enough to hear Delta Spirit, the three-man band that preceded Tokyo Police Club. But judging by the company they keep on tour and Delta Spirit's contribution to some fantastic communal percussion during "Saint John," we can bet they were pretty great. Tokyo Police Club reminded me of the days when the Warped Tour was cool, and earned my respect by making me and fellow audience members dance. Cold War Kids left me somewhat unfulfilled, not because I completely shunned what they were doing with the jazz theme, but only because I wanted more. I sincerely expected an encore and held out until the venue lights came on when I realized that the show was really over.

While Cold War Kids was good music that I hope to see more of, I expected more adrenaline, especially following an opener with such verve. As Willet announced mid-show, he was not of the head-banger mentality of coercing the crowd to move, but I sort of wish he had been. At least we now know that Tokyo Police Club can be counted on for a high energy show.