Saturday's show at the Kirkland Teen Union Building (K-TUB) had nearly all the elements of a great night. The line-up was stunning, with Ghosts and Liars, Tennis Pro, Ms. Led and Team Gina, and they each gave fantastic performances. The venue was surprisingly nice considering all the rumors I'd heard about it being a prime druggie hangout. Plus, it was a benefit concert for the Gay Straight Alliance. The show was really only missing one important element: the audience.
Throughout the night there were probably a maximum of 5 people on the dance floor; me, Stormi (formally of Shorthand for Epic), and a few members of Ms. Led or Team Gina. This was a very awkward situation at first, but eventually it was pretty fun, as everyone realized that this was how things were going to have to be. I only really felt bad for Ghosts and Liars because they'd driven all the way up from Tacoma. It must have been a disappointment. Even so (and with a few technical problems) they played excellently. I've long been a fan of their folk-pop sound, as well as their well placed cellos.
Tennis Pro were a delightful surprise in every imaginable way. When I saw them walk on stage I was sure they were going to be playing some nerd-pop, because they were dressed in adorable suits and sweaters with cute patterns and colors. But when they picked up their instruments and made them play, what came was much more hard core than I had expected. And just when I had adjusted to the shock that my snap judgment had been wrong, I was again surprised by the vocal talents of the bassist, who hit high notes I could have never reached. My conclusion: a highly multi-talented group.
Ms. Led was, of course, rock-out-loud-fantastic. They had so much energy (enough to knock the mic off its stand), talent, and a great attitude despite the emptiness of the room.
Team Gina was definitely the most fun group I've seen in a while. I knew from the moment they brought out the laptop that I would enjoy them. Their completely honest lyrics about best friends and lesbian love triangles had me laughing throughout the performance. They had some of the cleverest rhymes I've ever heard, with cute electro-beats in the background.
I've been to shows like this one before, where you think "Damn, I should have brought more friends," where you're fairly sure you're the only one there who benefits from the all-ages designation of the show, and you're not sure exactly where to position yourself on the vast dance floor. But when the bands still pump out some excellent energy, sometimes you just forget that there should be a mosh pit where you are standing, and you can just enjoy the music.