4   +   3   =  

Scenes From Saturday's STRFKR Show At Trees.

Mass, almost cult appeal without fail keeps independent art on its toes and into the clawing hands of the everyday, hip high school kid.

On Saturday night, these sort of kids swelled Trees to its 650-capacity full for a bill topped by Portland-based electronica group STRFKR and San Jose production wizard Giraffage — and to great success at that. Before opening doors, lines of trendy-looking teens wrapped around the block.

Thanks to said queues, it would be a few hours before any sort of screaming or heart-racing dancing would occur on this night, though. But the show would start off on a great note just the same as Kansas City bedroom-pop trio Shy Boys made itself right at home on the Trees stage. Even as the sonic outliers on this bill, Shy Boys appeared grateful to be playing in front of so many new faces. And, armed with its uniquely short, 90-second-or so blasts of minimal arrangement, Shy Boys were hard not to like; throughout its brief set, the band quite literally turned heads, its high harmonies and hooks practically irresistible to the ear.

Within 10 minutes, DJ Roosevelt followed, signalling the night's temporary shift in direction — a blare that would continue after electronic performer Giraffage poured piece after piece of equipment onto a shaded black turntable at center stage. The tables continued to turn from there, and the audience simply ate it up, consuming drop after drop and beat after beat, all the while jam-packed into the venue's floorspace.

In due time, STRFKR took over, helping connect and make sense all tangents that had preceded their own set. With its breed of indie pop sensibilities, its blend of electronic and more traditional rock overtones, and a massive light show in tow, the outfit's hazy guitars and warped synths wrapped the audience around its finger, briding the gap between Shy Boys and Giraffage, if indeed after the fact.

In all the night made for quite a party — one that was originally supposed to have taken place in the arid summer air of Globe Life Park as part of the cancelled TimeScape Festival. Maybe the fact that this party went down in the air-conditioned Deep Ellum venue, then, was something of a blessing in disguise.

For nearly two hours, all those kids that waited so patiently could rejoice and lose their minds in comfort, and while properly immersed in the night's proposed charms. The sounds, the visuals, the atmosphere — it was all there and STRFKR in particular brought it all to a crest with vigor.


















7389_2

7389_3

7389_4

7389_5

7389_6

7389_7

7389_8

7389_9

7389_10

7389_11

7389_12

7389_13

7389_14

7389_15

7389_16

7389_17

7389_18

7389_19

7389_20

7389_21

7389_22

7389_23

7389_24

7389_25

7389_26

7389_27

7389_28

7389_29

7389_30

7389_31

7389_32

7389_33

7389_34

7389_35

7389_36

7389_37

7389_38

7389_39

7389_40

7389_41

7389_42

7389_43

7389_44

7389_45

7389_46

7389_47

7389_48

7389_49

7389_50

No more articles