popwreckoning

Even though I’m not terribly religious, I’m kind of a geek when it comes to houses of worship because I respect the traditions and what the buildings represent to its people. And for me, it’s even better when the house of worship in question hosts concerts because music means so much to me. Philly has its First Unitarian Church and D.C. has 6th and I Synagogue. The synagogue’s interior is a beautiful mauve, with blue and purple stained glass windows. I’d say without a doubt that it’s the prettiest place I’ve ever been to for the expressed purpose of a gig. For the xx’s headlining gig Sunday night, I thought to myself that it was almost a shame that the altar was obscured by a huge black sheet with an X in the middle of it. I say “almost” because as you will read, we were in for a big surprise at the end.

Los Angeles electronic producer Nosaj Thing (real name Jason Chung) was the first of two opening acts for the evening. Media outlets have compared Chung’s sound to fellow Californian Flying Lotus because both incorporate hip hop into experimental, electronic sound and also utilize glitch-hop, a genre I’m not familiar with at all. I thought he was an interesting choice to open for the xx, since they brought London electronica artist Jon Hopkins with them last time they toured North America. Augmented by serious hip hop beats and what sounded like birds scuttling from a Macbook, Chung punched keys, twisted dials, and generally looked like a man possessed by the music. Overall, he was an enjoyable opening act.

Next, was the mysterious Swedish duo jj. Inbetween the sets, I talked to a friend of mine and he said jj was so mysterious, no one knew much about them because they don’t tour very much at all. I only knew one of jj’s songs, the ethereal “Let Go,” a song from their second album jj nº 3 released in early March. So seeing singer Elin Kastlander, with her curly blonde hair falling past her shoulders and dressed up like a hippie and standing on stage by herself, I had no idea what to expect. Then she opened her mouth and this gorgeous voice came out, fully complementing the Balearic beats emanating from a laptop next to her. Judging from audience’s enthusiastic clapping and catcalls, there were many jj fans in attendance that night.

As much as the audience was feeling the music, I felt bad for Kastlander though: she barely made eye contact with the audience and looked very uncomfortable standing there by herself as a light projector changed colors that reflected off her face and on the synagogue’s walls. What made things even weirder was her jj partner Joakim Benon, getting up several different times from his seated position on the stage and giving Kastlander hugs, as if for a job well done. I guess Benon does all the programming and such and maybe didn’t need to perform for performance’s sake, although at one point he did stand up and strap on an acoustic guitar to play a couple chords, to the crowd’s applause but yes, to say the least, the setup was strange.

The xx played two shows at Sixth and I on Sunday because the evening show had sold out so quickly, a matinee earlier in the day was quickly scheduled to meet ticket demand. It’s not often that any band will have a big enough demand to fill two shows in one day in Washington, so you know this band is something special. Their star just keeps on rising, with their songs appearing in an AT&T commercial during the Olympics and on “Gossip Girl” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” They haven’t really taken a break from touring, except in February when they canceled some European dates when guitarist Romy Madley-Croft’s father passed away.

Having seen this London band several times already, I know why I keep coming back: vocals and guitar by Madley-Croft, vocals and bass from Oliver Sim and programming and percussion from Jamie Smith come together just right to make music that nearly brings tears to my eyes every time I hear their songs. “Heart Skipped a Beat,” with Madley-Croft singing, “It’s been a while / and you’ve found someone better / but I’ve been waiting too long to give this up / the more I see I understand / but sometimes I still need you,” should make your heartache. I know that’s the effect their music has on me. I noticed Madley-Croft has a new guitar, but her playing is still the same – spot-on and still incredible, sounding great against Sim’s bass lines and the percussion taps of Smith’s.

They’re a soft-spoken band to begin with, so it was nice to see bassist Sim loosen up after gauging the audience’s enthusiasm for their band and chat a bit with the audience between numbers. Before starting to play “VCR,” Sim smiled at us and said, “So nice to be back here on our first U.S. headlining tour!” (I guess the one they did here last November was a trial run?) He made everyone laugh when he continued with “[I'm] starting to feel that chili dog I had earlier…” Of course someone in the audience yelled out, “Ben’s?” Sim replied, “Yes, Ben’s Chili Bowl!” The place erupted in cheers. Before an absolutely gorgeous rendition of “Nighttime,” he commented with a grin, “This venue’s incredible! I feel like a religious figure!”

When the band returned for an encore, the backdrop with the X emblazoned on it became a sea of stars, perfectly suited to end the show with the wonderfully sensual “Stars.” While they might not be religious figures in the conventional sense, the xx always deliver a mind-blowing show, and this is one devotee who will keep coming back for more.

The xx Set List
Intro
Crystalised
Islands
Heart Skipped a Beat
Fantasy
Shelter
VCR
Do You Mind (Kyla cover)
Basic Space
Nighttime
Infinity
//
Stars

Tour Dates
Mar 31 – Webster Hall / New York City
Apr 02 – Paradise / Boston (2 shows)
Apr 03 – Metropolis / Montreal
Apr 04 – Phoenix / Toronto
Apr 05 – Wexner Center / Columbus
Apr 06 – Buskirk Chumley Theater / Bloomington, IN
Apr 08 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago (two shows)
Apr 09 – Varsity Theatre / Minneapolis
Apr 12 – Showbox SoDo / Seattle, WA
Apr 13 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver
Apr 14 – Crystal Ballroom / Portland
Apr 15 – Fox Theatre / Oakland%
Apr 17 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
Apr 19 – Riviera Theatre / Chicago%
Apr 20 – Koolhaus / Toronto%
Apr 22 – Terminal 5 / New York City%
Apr 23 – Sonar / Baltimore
Apr 24 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC%
% supporting Hot Chip

The xx: website | myspace | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | @ DC9 | @ Paradise | @ Newbury Comics, Boston
Nosaj Thing: website | myspace
jj: myspace

Losing a band member for any reason during any point in a band’s history can be traumatic, even devastating. In the case of the xx, losing fourth member and guitarist/synth player Baria Qureshi happening at the exact same time while the band’s meteoric rise in profile and acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic appears seemingly unstoppable is probably even more traumatic. The first sign of trouble was when the band had to cancel a couple European dates last month, Qureshi citing “exhaustion”; this seemed reasonable, considering how much the band has been touring since they were tipped by various media outlets and people in the business for being the next “it band.” But then a few days ago, the band announced that Qureshi had left the band permanently, owing to “personal differences,” leaving those of us already devoted to the xx wondering, “are they going to soldier on with a replacement, or is this the end?”

But the band has decided to continue as a trio. Having seen the xx as a quartet three months ago in New York in a supporting slot and having enjoyed their set, I hoped that having one less member wouldn’t affect the sound – at least, too much. I am happy to report that the xx sound excellent in their current configuration and, if anything, I think the trifecta of Romy Madley-Croft (guitar/vocals), Oliver Sim (bass/vocals), and Jamie Smith (percussion and electronics et al.) sounded even better to this night than they did previously.

Sunday night was a London doubleheader with the opening act, electronica artist Jon Hopkins. Here in front of us was not your run-of-the-mill mixmaster DJ. The lanky Hopkins effectively threw his body into his performance, all the while a master of his machines, adding layer upon layer of sonic goodness by manipulating his synths full of buttons, switches, dials and knobs. He said nothing throughout the set, instead preferring to reach for and occasionally take a swig from a well-placed bottle of Budweiser between the seamlessly segueing tracks. “Vessel”, with its dramatic, haunting piano arpeggios, was especially intriguing to me (as I’d been trained in classical piano when I was younger), especially so because it was played among songs that could be regarded electro mini-symphonies to tracks that ring out like they’d feel at home in outer space, like “Insides”. The crowd was quiet but that was probably because everyone’s eyes were glued to Hopkins’s hands during his set. Interesting choice for an opener.

Okay, so I get that the xx band uniform is black clothing from head to toe. I suppose this is a nod to the minimalist approach to their music, as is their generally unshakeable, unemotional manner when performing. Singers Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim sport metal chains with charms around their necks, though I wonder if these chains are to aid the audience in seeing the two of them onstage. For both Jon Hopkins’s set and the xx’s, the club was very dark, and both professional and any kind flash photography were not allowed. The only two bright lights on at all times on stage were the two “X”s carved out of the front of Jamie Smith’s desk of electronic wonder. At one point, Madley-Croft had to ask for the lights onstage to be raised slightly, probably because she couldn’t see the strings of her guitar. Funny. After their second song, “VCR,” Sim announced, “this is a special night. This is the first time we’ve played in Washington!” His comment was met with universal cheers from the crowd.

The set list featured two covers, “Do You Mind?” by Filipino R&B/soul singer Kyla and “Teardrops” by Womack and Womack, the latter causing Sim to admit bashfully (but with a grin as he fingered his black bass guitar) that he was embarrassed that they had to play another cover and that he wanted to run and hide himself in the crowd. Aww. To be honest, they played exactly what I expected for a band with only a debut album to their name, playing every song on xx with growing conviction. Each song combined the gorgeously emotional voices of Madley-Croft and Sim with the perfectly spare instrumentation from the three of them, so much that just hearing everything together might make you cry. So to me, the covers were just icing on the cake. Further along in the set, Madley-Croft’s usual steely demeanor gave way to a smile. I was glad – she and her band mates are talented folks and have a lot to be proud of.

For the lack of banter between the acts and the audience at DC9, this show might have been subtitled “The Quiet One.” But in the end, it was what we’d all shown up at the club for – great music – that triumphed over everything else. If you didn’t get the chance to catch them on their short headlining tour of America this fall, catch this band opening for Friendly Fires on the Nylon Winter Music Tour before the end of the year or supporting Hot Chip next April.

Set List:
Intro
VCR
Heart Skipped a Beat
Islands
Basic Space
Fantasy
Shelter
Do You Mind? (Kyla)
Crystalised
Teardrops (Womack and Womack)
Nighttime
Infinity
Stars

Tour Dates:
Nov 17 – 529 / Atlanta#
Nov 19 – Mohawk / Austin*
Nov 20 – Casbah / San Diego*
Nov 23 – Independent / San Francisco*
Nov 24 – Sacramento State University / Sacramento*
Nov 25 – Doug Fir / Portland*
Nov 26 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver*
Nov 27 – Neumo’s / Seattle*
Nov 30 – Triple Rock / Minneapolis*
Dec 01 – Bottom Lounge / Chicago*
Dec 03 – Les Saints / Montreal*
Dec 04 – Paradise / Boston*
Dec 05 – Webster Hall / New York City*
Apr 19 – Riviera Theatre / Chicago%
Apr 20 – Koolhaus / Toronto%
Apr 22 – Terminal 5 / New York City%
Apr 24 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC%
# with Jon Hopkins
* supporting Friendly Fires on the Nylon Winter Music Tour
% supporting Hot Chip

The xx: website | myspace | @ music hall of williamsburg
Jon Hopkins: website | myspace