Concert Review: Black Kids @ Black Cat (Washington D.C.) 5.15.08

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By Erica Bruce

“I get angst in my pants/ And goddamn it to hell/ It don’t help if I dance”
-“I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again),” Black Kids

I had some angst too when I went in to the Black Kids show at The Black Cat in Washington, DC last week too, but dancing managed to quell mine just fine. I mean, ok, call me a philistine for this, but prior to last Thursday I wasn’t really digging the Black Kids’ quirky, popular single, “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You” (EDITOR’S NOTE: philistine). I just thought that it’s really hard to out-Cure The Cure, and Robert Smith sound-alike upstarts just pale by comparison, so why attempt it, you know? But the Black Kids, who are currently touring as an opener for Cut Copy, channeled not just The Cure in their 10-song set, but also Studio 54, early Prince, and, I swear to God, the B52s, all in varying degrees. And while I didn’t dig it in a music snob sense or lyrically (I tend to shoot for a bit more in my lyrics than “Knock, knock/ Who’s there/ Call the ghost in your underwear”), I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the Black Kids’ fabulous ability (specifically that of the keyboard player and vocalist Ali Youngblood) to get the crowd whipped up and dancing madly.

Their set was as follows…

1. Partie Traumatic: The title track off their forthcoming record.
2. Hit the Heartbreakes: I got a very B52s feeling on this song. That is if the B52s were English and trying to channel The Cure (Reggie Youngblood has a great Robert Smith-like voice). It was here that Youngblood announced that he and his sister Ali were originally from DC.
3. I Wanna Be Your Limousine: Ok I take that back, they are the B52s if the B52s went to Studio 54. The song moves with this heavy bass and disco sound, and incorporates an “Ooo-weee-ooo, ooooh” that would make Prince rather proud.
4. Listen to Your Body Tonight: Another very synthesized, disco-inspired track.
5. “Kaiser 4 (please don’t scream)“: Did I mention Youngblood has a cool Robert Smith-like yell? And on an interesting note, they appear to use a drum machine in addition to a real drummer.
6. I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again)
7. “…Everytime we kiss, baba ba ba beep beep…”: The best part of this song
was the energy and dancing of the two female keyboard players/vocalists, one of whom is Youngblood’s sister, Ali.
8. Hurricane Jane: A bit more of a guitar-centered track, if you can believe it with this band.
9. I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You: Ali Youngblood is awesome to watch. She’s super animated and fun, dances her ass off, and gets the crowd hyped up and involved.
10. Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo): Ali Youngblood and her fellow keyboardist Dawn Watley, make this song, especially Ali Youngblood’s dancing and their girly-voiced raps (think Toni Basil’s voice in “Hey Mickey”).

Overall, when you think of the Black Kids, think early 80s post punk meets white-girl rap. As for their live show, think a DJ who spins during a Sunday brunch: the stuff played is safe and palpable, liked by everyone you’re with as you chatter about the news and events in your lives. But stimulating enough to distract you from your bloody marys? Not so much.

Erica Bruce is the founder of Between Love & Like, a classy Washington D.C. music blog that occasionally dips its toes into L.A. indie rock.

May 21, 2008 | Filed Under Concert Reviews, Exclusive Features 

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