Those Dancing Days bring their high-energy version of Northern soul to Brooklyn

May 28, 2009, at Union Hall

By Eleanor Whitney
Published: May 31st, 2009 | 4:20pm

Sweden’s Those Dancing Days overflowed from the small stage at Brooklyn’s Union Hall with infectious, boisterous energy. With plenty of reverby guitar and gangly limbs, the five-piece band resembled the Scandinavian answer to the Vivian Girls, though considerably less aloof. Despite their young ages, the members of Those Dancing Days pounded out hit-quality songs that displayed solid songwriting and a facile grasp of the Northern soul classics from which draw their name. The songs, with fast, enthusiastically played keyboard by Lisa Pyk Wirström; choppy, jangly guitar by Rebecka Rolfart; and expertly danceable drums by Cissi Efraimsson, were infectious. Lead singer Linnea Jönsson pushed them forward with her rich, soulful voice. She also added punctuation with her frantic dancing as she alternatively flailed her arms like she was swimming laps, struck pleading punk poses, or marched like she was leading a group of majorettes.

Thanks to the group’s frantic energy, the well put–together show was a lot of fun for the audience, who had squeezed into Union Hall’s basement space. “Home Sweet Home,” an anthem appropriate for the band’s last show on its U.S. tour, started out slow with a keyboard and guitar duet, which quickly exploded into a full-band romp. Linnea’s voice during the sweeping “oh whoa oh’s” of the song’s chorus exuded a maturity and fullness well beyond her years. On “Discho,” the band began with a series of claps and the crowd quickly joined in, while bassist Mimmi Evrell treated listeners to a sliding, pop-perfect bass hook.

During the two closing numbers the band ratcheted up the energy of the set to yet another level. On “Tasty Boy,” the entire band all sang along and danced, while Linnea shouted, “You taste like cloudberry ice cream, soft and smooth!” During the bridge, she picked up a tambourine and shook it violently, then flung it down to finish the refrain with intensity much greater than the admittedly silly pop lyrics. The band closed the set with its moniker, “Those Dancing Days,” a tribute to young, summer fun. Linnea cut her eyes suggestively at the crowd while singing “Dancing in the night, dancing through the days.”

With their raw punk energy, catchy pop melodies, and an iconic lead singer, Those Dancing Days seem like the Stains, of the film Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, if they existed in 2009 and hailed from a suburb of Stockholm. With such a solid live show, U.S. fans can only hope Those Dancing Days will venture back across the Atlantic soon.
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For more photos from this show visit Venus ZIne’s Flickr page