Sunday night’s show at Johnny Brenda’s started way too late, as the first of three bands hit the stage around 9:40. Philly regular Dani Mari fronted Acres of Diamonds, her new musical outfit. She later informed me that they’d actually been together for about a year now, however this was the first time I’d caught them and was pleasantly surprised. They had impressive presentation and fully-formed style, rocking what I’d almost consider an 80’s new-wave, all-black-everything dress code. The band members interacted both musically and personally on-stage as if they’d played with each other for years.
While the set started off strong, the down tempo-ness of the latter half had me waiting for a hook or a melodramatic song I could wrap my head around, but never came. With their kitschy retro ambience and good looking front-woman, there were moments where I felt this band was perfect bait for some major label to grasp onto. They just seemed like an obvious choice to add to some sprawling roster that these labels have, but you never realize. Whether they’d get lost in the shuffle or find someone who’d know what to do with them, is another story.
Twin Sister took the stage next. They are a band that I’ve seen maybe four or five times over the years. The first time was at their record release party at the Glasslands in Brooklyn, where they virtually owned the place and had the entire indie-rock illuminati eating out of their hands. The second time was at Danger Danger Gallery in Philly, where they played to maybe 20 heads. Very different situations, and even more different from this past weekend.
In all honesty, the first impression when they hit the stage was how unhealthy front woman Andrea Estella looked. I’m not saying this to pass judgment or make inferences, but only to convey how distracting it was from the music, at first. She’s known to be one of the best looking women in indie and it was a bit disconcerting. Despite this, the new songs bounced with a clean electronic funk and detailed percussive flourishes. Part of the growth in their sound may be attributed to their willingness to serve the songs, as they switched instruments frequently, swapping synth leads for basslines, for example, or putting guitars down in favor of drum sticks to add electronic elements, for a song or two.
Last I spoke to their keyboardist about two years ago, he had mentioned being hopeful, but slightly disappointed in the indie-band lifestyle. Despite all the blog love, their success really not translated into anything tangible for them to hang their hats on. I stood there wondering the same this time, as their songs had grown in depth and interest, yet still lacked the memorable hooks that I’d want to set on repeat on a lazy Sunday while cooking an omelette. In short, I wondered what more they could do? Where could they go from here? Is this their plateau? Not a bad place to be, as they can fill (not pack) a room on a Sunday night, but also maybe still not where they want to be.
