Instead of jump-starting the crowd with a toe-tapping indie pop favorite such as ‘Hang Them All,’ Tapes N Tapes started their show at the’ Paradise this past Tuesday night’ with an extended instrumental number.
Each member seemed to be occupied by a careful concentration. From drummer Jeremy Hanson’s pursed lips, bassist Erik Appelwick bobbing his torso with every finger pluck of’ a string, keyboardist Matt Kretzman staring intently at his music-making machine like a long lost love to lead singer Josh Grier’s foot twisting in sync with his strumming.
The band primarily played from ‘Walk It Off,’ their sophomore album released last year. But fans of 2005’s ‘The Loon’ did not leave disappointed; Tapes N Tapes integrated favorites such as ‘In Houston,’ ‘Cowbell,’ and even ended their show with premier ‘Loon’ track ‘Just Drums.”
The band’s lack of energy was mirrored by the quiet crowd, which treated Tapes N Tapes less like a rock band and more like a prestigious professor who deserves nothing but the utmost undivided attention from his pupils. While a few of the audience members closed their eyes to savor the melodic indie pop rifts, most of the members remained frozen in their own personal bubbles, despite Grier’s requests after ‘The Dirty Dirty’ for the audience to ‘get moving.’
All in all, the performance was on the top five list of things to do Tuesday night, but a little part of me wondered if my art history homework could have proved to be more exciting.
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