The Ponys in Chicago, Saturday, March 31, 2007

The Homecoming

By Joel Cusumano
Published: April 3rd, 2007 | 11:34am

Logan Square Auditorium, a converted second-floor hall that looks more suited for a senior prom or Elk’s Club meeting than rock concert, seemed an unlikely venue for the unruly moshers crowded near the front, let alone to the jangly garage chants of openers Black Lips. I guess after too many small bar, arm-crossed hipster sets, I forgot how any music over about 140 bpm sets off the mosh switch in your average aggro frat boy music fan. A friend suggested that it was perhaps refreshing to see kids reviving the dubious Clinton-era ritual, but it’s important to note that they’re probably just as uninterested in the music as your average jaded scenester slug.

It’s even more strange that the Black Lips’ raucous opening set should provide such a perfect foil for the headlining Ponys. Rambunctious, loose and sloppy, the Lips make up for their frequently stale albums with a kick ass live show, and rockers such as “Not A Problem” and “Sea of Blasphemy” became anthems on stage. The Ponys, on the other hand, recreated the tracks from their Matador debut, Turn the Lights Out, with cold precision.

The night was a homecoming party for the Ponys, their first Chicago show since the release of Lights (guitarist/singer Jason Gummere and bassist Melissa Elias live down the street from the auditorium), and everyone in the audience seemed genuinely psyched to celebrate the band’s major indie buzz. On stage the foursome strangely resembled a ‘90s-style alterna-band – solid girl bassist, grungy singer with hair covering his eyes, mysterious-looking guitarist – and the mix in the auditorium was turned so low that it rattled the rickety wood panel floor.

Unfortunately, the set only seemed to highlight some of the band’s weaknesses. Grummere’s weak voice and phony British accent, tolerable on record, was only amplified as it stood out against the low rumble of Elias’ bass. New guitarist Brian Case, formerly of 90 Day Men, has streamlined the band’s sound a bit since replacing Ian Adams in 2005, which at times helped turn some of the band’s songs into droney Spacemen 3 raves. But the biggest downer to the show was that, playing on nice equipment in the large auditorium, the Ponys songs sounded even more samey than they do on record. The punchy kick of “Double Vision” sounded bogged down next to other dour jams like “Poser Psychotic” and “Exile On My Street.” The band is very likeable, and no doubt it was a thrill for many longtime hometown fans to check them out, but watching them you get the feeling that they could be doing so much more.

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