MATES OF STATE/BLACK KIDS + Sunbears @ Cabaret du Musée

By DJ Solespin - Eclectricity - 04/09/2009

April 9th was a night of firsts for me. I went to Cabaret Du Musee to see Mates of State and Black Kids, two acts that I had never heard music from. I got to the venue early enough to be surprised by Sunbears' performance. They were the opening act for the Mates and Kids. The Florida duo had an interesting set and prepared the audience for the night.
 
They say the third time is the charm. This was the third chance for me to see Black Kids in concert and it finally happened for me that night. They were a delight and worth the wait. I had been fascinated by the band for months and finally got an idea of their sound. I have heard it said they admire the Cure and after the performance, I am inclined to agree. Their energy was contagious and I was surprised at how receptive the crowd was to the band, who had been in Montreal not too long ago. I understand that with up to three Montreal dates in less than two years, the city loves the Florida band.
 
Reggie Youngblood is the band's most charismatic member and had the most interaction with the crowd. On many occasions during their set, audience members began inaudible conversations with him.
 
I am not sure if that night was a scaled down Black Kids show compared to the other visits, but if that was the case, the crowd got a short but sweet blast of Black Kids. I met with the band members afterwards and found out they have a new album in the works or soon to be released. I got a copy of Partie Traumatic that night and look forward to their next one.
 
After Black Kids was the husband and wife duo Mates of State. There was a steady increase of spectators as every act took the stage. By the time Mates of State began, the bottom floor of Cabaret was littered with people. In previous concert reviews, I've mentioned that I observe crowd reactions to songs to get an understanding of which songs are definitive by consensus. While up in the Cabaret balcony, I was seated next to a couple who appeared to be fans of the group. I did my best to not bother them too much, but informed them I would need their help in determining which album the songs were coming from.

The concert was a pleasant surprise and wonderful introduction to the band. They were the reason Cabaret was filled with people that night. The music was uplifting and peppy and the crowd responded in kind with creative and free-spirited dance moves.
 
I was so pleased with the Mates performance that they made me a fan that night, so much so that I decided to buy one of their vinyl records. Their entire discography was available for sale in the lobby. I saw a number of people walk away with compact discs and vinyls which speaks of their appeal and loyalty of the fan base. It could also be that the price was right!
 
The couple I sat with during the concert often told me that the tracks performed came mostly from the Team Boo or Re-Arrange Us albums. By the end of the concert, I decided to leave with Re-Arrange Us, which happened to be the album they were promoting that night. I hope to catch Mates of State again soon and maybe pick up Team Boo while I am there. That is unless I do not get a copy beforehand, of course.

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