TT’s was pretty sparse for a Wednesday night, but since Sun Club and Fat White Family were the only two bands on the bill, it was a fast, energetic show — perfect for getting you over that mid-week slump.
Sun Club never slows down, never stops moving, and never stops playing infectiously great tunes. It’s taking a while for their new music to get released, but do yourself a favor and memorize their first EP, Dad Claps at the Mom Prom, in the meantime. They’re always having fun and bring a cool pop vibe to the indie rock genre. The new songs they played had all the elements you expect from Sun Club – reverb, sweet-sounding shouts and yelps, swift rhythms – and a new appreciation for gaps of silence, booming percussion, and yes, more reverb. “Tropicoller Lease,” another song name generated from the best poetry refrigerator magnets ever it seems, is a great one to look out for on their new album, with some keyboard nonsense, chipper bells, and gang vocals to boot.
Fat White Family drew a modest crowd in Boston Wednesday night, too, and threw their grimy punk out at the audience with no hesitation. This cast of characters have been blowing up recently, having just played on The Late Show with David Letterman, and it’s no surprise they’re turning heads. Their shambled appearance reflects the raw honesty in their experimental rock n roll sound. It’s sometimes scary, sometimes crazy, and always sloppy.
Allston Pudding caught up with Sun Club before their show at TT the Bear’s on Wednesday night. Gathered around a pool table, we talked about everything from the current situation in their hometown of Baltimore, to surfboards in unusual places.
AP: This is your first night opening for Fat White Family, right?
Shane (McCord, guitar): “Yeah we just kind of hopped on this tour last minute. This is the month of English accents for us though. We’re going to London in a week. It’s funny we’re going on tour with Fat Whites beforehand because we’re getting slowly used the accents and then it’ll be our whole world in a week and a half.”
AP: What are you looking forward to about touring Europe for the first time?
Adam (Shane, bass): “I’m excited to run out of money. I just want to get lost in Europe. Also the beer just sounds amazing.”
Mikey (Powers, vocals/guitar): “Also the architecture. I’m excited to go to some cities and see some things I’ve never seen before. Like Amsterdam, Paris, Scotland.”
Shane: “The show in Manchester is with this really cool guy called Francis Lung. That’s what I’m most excited for.”
AP: Can you give me three words that describe your new, yet-to-be-released music?
Adam: “Party party party.”
Shane: “And then three exclamation points.”
Mikey: Reverb, Warehouse…we recorded the album in this huge warehouse.
Adam: “I think that’s more than three words now?”
Shane: “[laughing] We woke up in Baltimore this morning and drove right here.”
AP: What’s it like down there right now?
Shane: “It’s pretty crazy. Metro Gallery is taking the shows day by day. Everything’s really peaceful right now, so I don’t think it’s a matter of danger, I think it’s a matter of curfew imposed by the mayor, but they might lift that. I guess we won’t know until saturday. It’s crazy it’s like this movie or something.”
“The Rite Aid three blocks away got looted. And there was a burning car three blocks from my house. My roommate got thrown off his bike and kicked in the face and my other roommate got this brick thrown at his car. It was just madness. That was mostly Monday. Not it’s just really strict enforcement to keep people in line. That’s what’s keeping shows from happening.”
[UPDATE: Their show at Metro Gallery in Baltimore is happening tonight, 5/2 – the venue’s first show all week.]
AP: What are some acts from Boston you like right now?
Shane: “Kid Mountain, Designer. All the JP bands are great, yknow? Like what Ben Katzman’s doing. Vundabar are good friends of ours, too.”
AP: And what about in Baltimore?
Shane: “Sherman Whips, Us and Us Only… Slendermen! The lead singer from Designer formed an amazing band called Slendermen and they played their first show with us two months ago. There’s also Little Leaguer, 3lon…such a good voice. Those are just like our friends mostly.”
Mikey: “Oh yeah, Horselords, Tendril, Chiffon… and Dan Deacon [laughing].”
AP: We talked about some childhood memories last time you guys were here, so I was wondering what you remember about going to prom in high school?
Mikey: “I went to four proms.”
Adam: “Someone vomited…it was everywhere.”
Shane: “Devin won prom king.”
Devin (McCord, drums): “Which was terrible. They made me dance in front of everyone.”
Shane: “The girl I was dating won prom queen the next year… but I didn’t win prom king. I was nominated I think.”
Mikey: “But most of the people that nominated you put you down as prom queen.
Shane: “That did happen. I just remember a chocolate fountain, too.”
Mikey: “There was a really weird surfboard, too.”
Shane: “Yeah, a really weird surfboard…”
Mikey: “… and that’s all you need to know [laughing].”
