Love is All and the Crystal Stilts steal hearts in New York

December 7, 2008, at the Bowery Ballroom

By Eleanor Whitney
Published: December 10th, 2008 | 5:10pm

Though cold Sunday evenings are not synonymous with rocknroll, Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts threw off the nighttime chill at the Bowery Ballroom with a set of jangly, hypnotic guitar pop that worked audience members into a frenzy. The band, however, concentrated on playing the minimalist, yet finely crafted garage rock they have become known for. Singer Brad Hargett focused on deadpan vocal delivery and barely moved beyond a back-and-forth shuffle, while drummer Frankie Rose pounded out rhythms while standing behind her stripped-down drum set in a leopard-print sleeveless dress. The songs were drenched in reverb and oscillated between the feel of a spaghetti western and a cassette recorded on a four-track tape machine in a bathroom. As hometown favorites, the audience cheered wildly for the Crystal Stilts and one listener remarked, “Crystal Bastards, they just walked away with my heart,” after they exited.

Soon after, the members of Love is All bounded on stage with unbridled enthusiasm and launched into “Wishing Well” from their new album A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night (What’s Your Rupture?). They didn’t miss a beat as the song ended and transitioned seamlessly into “Give it Back.” Despite its heavy touring schedule, Love is All was clearly having fun on stage and the energy made the Crystal Stilts seem pale in comparison. The audience jumped up and down to the frantic, disco-style beats and choppy guitar lines reminiscent of pop-laden post-punk outfits like the Delta 5.

Unfortunately, Love is All’s enthusiasm was not fully reflected in the audience. Despite some heartfelt dancing from audience members in the front row, most looked on stoically. With the release of its album, Nine Times That Same Song (What’s Your Rupture?), Love is All created a massive buzz around its live performance. While the smaller-than-expected crowd at the Bowery Ballroom indicates it may have worn off a little bit, Love is All’s energy and tight pop song writing still deserves attention and praise.

The set, a mixture of songs from the two albums, was propelled by Josephine Olausson’s distinct, powerful vocals. It also was punctuated by her unconventional playing of a cowbell, which she balanced on her head, and keyboard, which she leaned over and pounded on with a studied intensity. Adding to the sonic melee was James Ausfahrt’s wailing saxophone reminiscent of Laura Logic’s work in Essential Logic. Before a new song, Olausson announced, “This is the newest song we ever wrote,” then giggled and added, “I don’t know, it might make sense in Swedish.”

Songs like “Last Choice” and “Make Out Fall Out Make Up” served as cynical warnings about the pitfalls of the hipster, party lifestyle dressed up in the positivity of dance beats and shouted vocals. After 11 songs, the set ended as quickly as it began — the band added “Felt Tip” at the request of the audience and Olausson warned listeners, “We haven’t played it in a long time, confusion…” but the crowd was enraptured anyway and the song went off without a hitch.

For an encore, the band bounced back on the stage as if it was just starting the set and played “New Beginnings,” the first song on the new album. In total, the set clocked in at just over 40 minutes, but the audience left feeling completely satisfied, a testament to the band’s now infamous energy and matchless enthusiasm.

For more pictures from this show visit Venus Zine's Flickr page.

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Love is All Feature

Review of Love is All's Nine Times That Same Song