Thursday night’s show at Varsity Theater in Minneapolis featured a lineup consisting of openers, Weathers, a Los Angeles based quartet formed in 2015, followed by Weathers was the Detroit based duo JR JR. Headliners for the show were relative veterans, Saint Motel, a quartet also based out of Los Angeles who was in the middle of their first headlining tour since forming in 2009.
Despite having only been together as a band for the better part of one year, Weathers fit in perfectly with this particular lineup of acts. The energy exhibited by the band members, particularly that of vocalist Cameron Boyer, was palpable and had the early arrivals in the audience gamely jumping along when commanded to do so.
Boyer’s voice has impressive range, as well, with a piercing falsetto that perfectly complements the indie electronic sonic of the band. The highlight of Weathers’ performance was undoubtedly when Boyer orchestrated an audience sing-along session for their popular single, “Happy Pills” (which has 600,000+ views on YouTube and growing). The band also made themselves relatively accessible following their set, taking pictures with many fans near their merch booth.
JR JR (formerly known as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr) and most recognized by their radio hit, “Gone”, arrived on stage following a short intermission to clear the stage of Weathers’ gear donning sparkly, apparently improvised outfits which were said to have been influenced by the 80’s sitcom, The Golden Girls. From the onset, the duo (versatile multi-instrumentalists Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein) brought an infectious combination of ridiculous levity with shimmering vocal harmonies backed by slightly psychedelic, indie pop arrangements.
Zott in particular (looking, it must be said, like some wild amalgamation of circa-2009 Russell Brand and Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria) was absolutely brimming with crazed, frenetic energy throughout the performance. The duo frequently abandoned the stage to interact more closely with the audience, which never negatively impacted their performance and was certainly appreciated by fans near the front of the floor.
One particular musical highlight occurred when JR JR launched into an ethereal, hazy, trance-like version of the old-school Temptations’ standard, “My Girl.” The band mentioned on a couple occasions that they were not touring in support of any new material and were simply there to have fun and “fuck around,” which was evident in spades throughout their consistently entertaining set, even if its final third was marred slightly by extended, time-filling jams which seemed meant to kill time prior to Saint Motel’s arrival.
By the time that headliners Saint Motel finally took the stage around 10pm, the crowd was at near-capacity and full-volume, eagerly anticipating hearing fan favorites such as “Hear Me Now” and “Benny Goodman” in addition to selections from their forthcoming new release, “saintmotelvision” (out October 21). The band was clearly in mid-tour form, presenting a tight, cohesive set without any detectable miscues or errors of any sort.
Like JR JR before them, Saint Motel – particularly frontman A.J. Jackson – frequently left the confines of the stage to interact directly with the audience. One of the most spectacular elements of Saint Motel’s unique, immediately-recognizable sound is how brilliantly they incorporate brass instruments into the mix.
The combination of sax and trumpet, in addition to all of the synths and guitars, truly provides the band with a distinctive edge that other indie pop artists lack. With that said, the inclusion of brass into the fold is anything but gimmicky for Saint Motel.
The band exhibits incredible restraint insofar as sax and trumpet are concerned, utilizing the instruments to add pleasant flourishes to their material before occasionally unleashing them for explosive, surging solos which perfectly match the ebb and flow of the band.
The handful of tracks performed from Saint Motel’s upcoming new album (“Move,” “You Can Be You,” and “Born Again”) were all received very well by the audience, and reveal a progression for the band while simultaneously preserving their infectious and immediately identifiable identity.
