TOKYO POLICE CLUB + Ruby Coast @ La Sala Rosa

By Rebecca Munroe - The Drive Home: Charts & Crafts - 03/27/2009

Tokyo Police Club’s concert last night… what can I say? Not much.  Seriously the problem I had with them is one that I am finding I am having with most indie rock bands these days. The word I would use to sum it all up: generic.

The night started with Ruby Coast, the opening act.  They put on an OK performance, meaning they were more or less pleasant, doing nothing to really stimulate or get anyone jumping or swaying for that matter.  Their sound doesn’t differ that much from Tokyo Police Club…again, generic.

So, if you were busy chatting with someone by the bar or even reading a book, as I saw one chick doing, the bands did a quick switch and you might have wondered, I am still listening to the opening band? …but that guy at the front with the thick long messy hairdo looks different and…wait, it’s Dave Monks.  To be honest, because of that discombobulating moment, I couldn’t even tell you what they opened with because it was the most boring opening I have ever seen.  Monks didn’t yell at the crowd, or do anything to get them remotely excited to see them on stage.  It actually could have been a cover band lip-syncing the band until you really took a gander at them.  Actually not once did the band members ever address the crowd during their performance. 

The crowd itself kept you intrigued because of the wild melange of people.  You had your rich upper crust Ugg wearing kids, to the Plateau born and raised artsy kids, with some middle aged hyper cool dudes mixed in. The band managed to arouse the ‘every age imaginable’ crowd with their second tune of the night, which was “Nature of the Experiment.”  Yet when they played “Tessellate” midway through the performance, no one seemed to even notice that they were playing one of their most popular hits.  I blame this on their “hurry I need to get out of here” type of playing.  It was quite curious to see how this band never stops to breathe. You really got the feeling that it was as if they were rushing to get it over with.  It wasn’t until they played “Citizens of Tomorrow” that the crowd managed to belt out a “woohoo” and give a real round of applause.

The awesomely red walled, black curtained, antique chandeliered Sala Rossa was packed to the ceiling last night, however Tokyo Police Club did little to get give what they got.