Concert review: energetic, catchy sounds of Two Door Cinema Club make for a great time
By Lauren Roberts
Nov. 4, 2010 4:18 p.m.
Two Door Cinema Club with Funeral Party and The Generational
The Music Box
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Beneath a quirky collection of mismatched light fixtures and deer statuaries, the lounge-like lobby of The Music Box was abuzz Tuesday. I was pleasantly surprised to see an audience that ranged from plaid-clad hipsters to brace-faced children and those old enough to be their parents.
The intimate vintage venue was a full house for a triple set of artists ““ openers Funeral Party and Generationals provided the evening’s introductions with a powerful pop before the evening’s stars, Two Door Cinema Club.
Los Angeles locals Funeral Party took to the stage first, faces painted with white stripes that they noted were in recognition to the Day of the Dead. The band presented a sound as paradoxical as their name, flitting between pop punk-inspired chords of sheer angst and dance-able rock melodies like standout “Where Did It Go Wrong?”
Lead singer Chad Elliot nodded to the band’s Southern California home, perhaps most noticeably in the angry yet irresistibly head-bobbing “NYC Moves to the Sound of L.A.” before closing with a generous post-Halloween candy-throwing farewell.
Sharing the opening slot were skinny-jeaned New Orleans indie rockers Generationals. Though their band name is awkward, their sound was anything but. The polished quartet featured a strangely familiar sound of the “˜60s fused with a modern indie twist. Simply sweet lyrics, shared harmonies and steady drum beats reflected a sound faintly reminiscent of Vampire Weekend and The Shins. Toe-tapping songs “Faces in the Dark” and “When They Fight, They Fight” sounded worthy of an Urban Outfitters playlist.
The part-punk, part-pop openers were a fitting prelude to the principal act of the night from across the pond.
I’d been curious about headliner Two Door Cinema Club since its debut on iTunes’ Free Single of the Week last spring, coinciding with the release of its first album, “Tourist History.” I was eager to hear if it could stand the live performance test of authenticity. The Northern Ireland natives were nothing short of a worthwhile wait.
Sweating under the tint of orange-red and green glowing stage lights, the band bounced with hybrid rock-pop rhythms.
“It’s good to be back in Hollywood,” lead vocalist Alex Trimble said with a smile, though the band revealed that it was disappointed with its christening Californian In-N-Out meal earlier in the day.
The self-described “alteronica” rockers brought enthusiastic energy and endearing stage presence. The chemistry between band and crowd was strong from start to finish, producing a dance-able, occasionally jumping escapade. Repeatedly catchy chords and lyrics were as infectious to the ear as on the album. Though the songs’ consistently pounding bass and upbeat choruses had a tendency to blend together, the band didn’t disappoint.
Singles “Undercover Martyn” and “I Can Talk” were crowd favorites, with scarcely a pair of lips left not singing.
The band’s jovial attitude is one mirrored in its music “”mdash; the songs are not the most lyrically deep, but Two Door Cinema Club knows that sometimes, that’s not the sole requirement for a good time. In a vein parallel to that of Phoenix, the band’s bass-filled, contagious sing-alongs are an accented alternative to the pathetic pop so often littering airwaves and iPods.
