The Delta Spirit

So I caught Delta Spirit on Conan Wednesday night, and they played like true pros, so I had to wonder: can they do it again that well live?  I went to see them at Mercury last night and the answer is: definitely.  They delivered a truly captivating set of melodic, impassioned rock.  Delta Spirit are the real deal: they’re good looking, fun to watch, and really talented.  Their songs are rootsy without being country, radio-friendly without being bubblegum, and heartfelt without being cheesy.  Singer Matthew Vasquez looks like a dangerous Shia LaBeouf and really knows how to hold an audience captive.   These guys are too good to not be famous, and soon.

Openers Action Painters turned in yet another tight, powerful set.  Their show was bottled lightning, sweaty and high-energy, and their new wave/old soul hybrid is infectious — I’m looking for them to break big in the coming year.  Also performing was Salt and Samovar, a five-piece band that played theatrical rock, like the Decemberists on drugs.  They played a strong set too, despite some unfortunate sound issues.  Overall, a solid night, top to bottom.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 11:36 pm and is filed under What's Hip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.