Now, Now made a gargantuan impression with their small hands at Kansas City’s Recordbar on Thursday, December 1.
Sliding in perfect unison along the bellowing bodies of their semi-hollow Telecasters, the trio (although absent in bass) did not let simplicity override intensity. Accompanied by voluptuous percussion and seemingly coagulated samples, the dark indie pop outfit attacked the unsuspecting venue with enrapturing hooks and espoused harmonies.
The evening hosted a largely female crowd in support of the famed Sick of Sarah. I think it’s pretty safe to say that while I had listened to Now, Now‘s Neighbors EP, I had underestimated the ferocity of the girls as guitarists. To watch their fingers waltz across the fretboard was almost too distracting from the fluidity of the music itself. Despite the slight aggression of being relatively somber instrumentalists, their soft-sung lyrics cut through the reverb andfuzz of the classic DS-1 Distortion to produce an almost-cuteness in the vein of Gregory and the Hawk. To directly quote SOS: “Those girls in Now, Now can sing to me any night.”
Showcasing Bradley Hale on drums, the set induced a mechanical head-nodding that trended by the end of their second song all the way into a climax with “Neighbors.” His precision with each crack on the snare followed by a sequence of rim clicks proved mesmerizing, forcing the audience to donate their eyes equally.
As the introductory band of the tour, Now, Now kept the set very characteristic to the members themselves: short and sweet.
Sick of Sarah took the stage next, followed by Deas Vail with a series of Christmas covers in light of the season. While each band produced an exciting and diverse performance, the energy was none compared to the temperament and honesty of Now, Now‘s exhibition.
Now, Now is:
Cacie Dalager- vocals, guitar, keyboard
Jess Abbot- guitar, vocals
Bradley Hale- drums, backing vocals
Review by Stephanie Castor
Photos by Stefanie Petrozz
