Despite the looming snow and ice catastrophe, the Grog Shop was packed with eager Tapes ‘n Tapes fans last night.
Local band Filmstrip began the evening with a series of psychedelic rock songs, complete with simple, repetitive lyrics. They were energetic enough, with the bassist as the focal point, but they struggled to engage the audience beyond a small, select following of die-hard friends.
The next band, Oberhofer, provided youthful exuberance that could channel the zest of Vampire Weekend and any number of indie-rock acts specializing in power pop. They could be poised for their minor break, so long as the band name doesn’t prove to be a non-starter.
Finally, Minneapolis’ Tapes ‘n Tapes had returned to the Grog Shop stage after years of absence. Alternating cuts from each of their three albums, the band confidently whipped through every song a fan could have hoped for, by my estimation.
To their credit, every song was delivered and received with equal clamor. “Jakov’s Suite” was a nice touch on the heels of “Freak Out,” which punctuated the night with crowd enthusiasm usually reserved for old favorites.
It wasn’t much more than your standard, entertaining indie-rock show, but for everyone involved, it was a nice break from the otherwise dull winter months. —Michael Tkach
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2011.