Wow, did this show surprise me. Blogosphere darlings of 2009, Girls put out an album that the critics loved, but I didn't. I was curious to see their show, but by no means looking forward to it. I wanted to see Dum Dum Girls. When I saw the sparse (at best) crowd at the Pabst (less than half the lower bowl filled), I was worried. Would everyone sit the whole time? Would there be no interaction with a sitting crowd? Turns out I didn't have to worry. The crowd, sparse as it was (and filled with more hipster douches than usual), was full of serious Girls fans. As for the show, the band had a fuller, better (dare I saw rawer?) sound than their album, which I liked. They were sloppy at points, not paying attention to each other either due to alcohol, drugs, or just being spacey. It was, in short, a live show.
But the real treat was the encore. By the time the band got to their bigger hits near the end of the set, people were up dancing in the aisles, and the band visibly liked it. Before their final song, Girls frontman Christopher Owens commented how he wished people could have joined the band by coming on the empty front of the Pabst stage. Then the set ended.
Then...then...finally, for the first time since Tokyo Police Club at Schubas in October 2007 -- a real encore. Owens announced that the band had planned to end the night there, but because they were having a good time, they would play one more. As the band launched into a cover of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream", the crowd rushed the stage, turning the feeling of being a member of a scarce crowd into a the feeling of being one of a lucky few in an intimate setting. Once they finished their cover, Owens looked around, discussed the next song with his bandmates, and played another. And when that was done, Owens talked with his bandmates again, and they played another song. Finally, after the third song, the band announced the were out of songs but could think of one more to play -- a cover of Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You in the End."
And that was it. The show ended and a glow permeated the crowd. It's been a long time since I was impressed by a live show and even longer since a live show made me reexamine what I thought of a band. I'm not sure I can think of a higher compliment for a concert. They may not deserve this grade at every show, and I may never give it to them again. But for one night, Girls get an: A.
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