2 posts tagged “common reaction”

Last night's Uh Huh Her show at the Roxy was, in short, pretty stellar.  I wasn't expecting so much new material, but from what I heard, Common Reaction is going to be an amazing album – heavy on the synthesizers, keyboards, and bass.  Unfortunately, from the tracks played last night, I didn't really hear any other song as catchy or upbeat as "Not a Love Song" or anything off of the EP.  BUT, this could just be because it's hard for me to really review a song when I first hear it, especially live.  Also, maybe the album's not meant to be full of catchy dance hits, which is fine with me, because I do enjoy a great mellow-when-you-want-it-to-be-but-upbeat-if-you-make-it-out-to-be album (think: Blonde Redhead - 23).  Everything UHH played off of the EP though, sounded even more amazing live than it did the last time, and Not a Love Song was a giant hit with the crowd, which was to be expected.  The band has visibly become more comfortable with playing live and it really shows through in their amazing stage chemistry; Camila and Leisha really seem to gel well together and complement each other on stage, and there's also something I find precious about the two of them sharing a bass (haha); the boys add a greater dimension to the live show, and it’s great to see that they not only seem to really love what they do, but also help make Uh Huh Her’s live set the hard-hitting and energetic performance it is now.  I really have no doubt that this band has the potential to be playing in bigger venues, so before they get to that point, I recommend for anyone who’s a fan of great electronic-indie-rock to check them out while they’re still playing small clubs.  Fans of Ladytron and old school Cure or Depeche Mode, or anything along those lines, should not be disappointed.

However, before UHH gets to that point, I feel like they need to build a more loyal/legitimate fan base.  What really upset me was that it seemed like there were just a lot of Leisha Hailey/L Word fans out in the crowd last night just there to admire one of their favorite actresses on stage… However, I wish it had really been an entire room of Uh Huh Her fans who partook in over-the-head rhythmic hand clapping when appropriate, or at least bobbed their heads to more than just one song.  I know that it was going to be a given for a ton of L Word fans to show up at an UHH show, and especially one in West Hollywood, but tonight all I could think to myself was "Man, I wish more than just thirty people in this room would really get into this music".  Granted, I know some people are the silent-listeners, the internal-reflectors.  But, come on, I swear I only saw a few people really sing or dance along, and I'm going to guess at least 25% of them were drunk (beer or drink in hand and the drunken sway -- you know, that sway).  And that's fine, if alcohol makes it easier for you to get into the music, then more power to you.  But screams of "Camila [or Leisha], you're hot! Take off your shirt!" over and over make you look like an obnoxious nub.  I feel like strong independent women always complain about or try to amend the double standards imposed on them by society, but I thought it was so funny that some of these women thought it would be comical (?) to shout out those things at a concert in between songs just to catch the lead singer's attention.  If most people think it's trashy for a guy to do that to a female singer, what makes it any different if you do?

I mean, the point is, that it all comes back to what makes a live show especially memorable.  Sure, the band performing well, the lights being synchronized correctly, and the sound being loud just enough to make your heart palpitate to the beat of the bass drum but not so loud that your ears want to bleed, are very important factors.  But what really makes a live set what it is, are the fans.  After going to so many shows, I can easily say that the best ones I have been to are the ones where every fan in the venue is singing or dancing along to the music, or finding some way whether internally or externally to connect to what’s being presented to them on stage, and what’s being emitted through the speakers.  In the end, if you’re only at a show to a) get drunk, b) say that you saw [insert band here] live, or c) get some (underage) ass, you’ve sadly wasted your money.

On that note, Uh Huh Her only has great things destined for them in the future, but I hope more people, other than L Word fans, take the time to listen to them and give them the shot that they undoubtedly deserve.

Now, pop lock and drop it. 

So, I just wanted to take this time before I head out to get a $5 dollar foot-long from Subway (I hope this promotion never ends) to write about how excited I am for the debut Uh Huh Her album, Common Reaction, to drop on August 19th.  I know it's a while away, but they posted (presumably) the first single "Not A Love Song" on their MySpace a little while back and I can't stop listening to it.  It reminds me of a perfect mix of The Sounds, Blonde Redhead, and a dancier Beastie Boys' Sabatoge.  It has one of the catchiest electro-pop choruses I've heard in a while, and the first time I listened to the entire song I felt like I had been beaten upside-the head with a keyboard, bass, and snare drum -- for clarification, that's a damn good thing in my books.  This past summer I was already blown away by how great both their EP and live performance were (post here), and now I absolutely cannot wait until this full-length drops, and for me to see them play a full set at the Roxy at the end of May.

On another note, I just booked my tickets to Seattle which means Sasquatch is officially a go.  It's going to be an amazing Memorial Day Weekend, to say the least.

PS, my new favorite way to pass the time is attempting to follow the scene sequence in the new death cab video.