cold war kids // neumo’s // 4 October 2006

In their third Seattle performance since June, Cold War Kids found themselves headlining at Neumo’s following an abrupt cancellation by the Futureheads. Despite the midweek show and the opportunity for refunds, the band attracted a respectable crowd of devoted fans on Wednesday night. Playing an economical set, they ran through much of the material from their forthcoming full length Robbers & Cowards, which you can pick up on Tuesday at your local record shop.

The nonstop touring has left the band well-practiced for energetic on stage presence. Raw and compelling vocals meet flexible time signatures with bodies nearly always in motion. They bring a small piano along and take turns in the spotlight. The warmest reception is for mp3blog hit “Hospital Beds”, but, particularly for the true believers in the front row, the entire night is celebration worthy. Flouting convention, they leave the stage well before midnight and don’t come back for an encore. We can only expect that they’ll return for more at a later date with an even larger crowd.

And now, a couple of notes unrelated to the performance. In a rare turn of events, Neumo’s relegated the drinkers to the balcony. Buying a beer before I knew that the usual arrangement had been upended, I gained a new appreciation for the substandard viewing that the kids are subjected to on a regular basis. While they have my sympathy, it’s nice that they have something to look forward to in their old age. I was really disappointed that S’s addition to the lineup wasn’t announced until the day of the show. It seems like a last minute booking of a local star with a cult following (copies of Sadstyle, their debut out-of-print album are nearly impossible to find for under $50) should have merited an e-mail blast. Once again, the lesson of this week is to show up early.