 LPO - Itzhak Perlman In Concert
Mahalia Jackson Theatre | 7PM | Jan. 10th |
|
The Whigs
8/22/08 at The Republic
 Back when I was in college at the University of Georgia, we used to go see The Whigs at local venues like Tasty World or the 40 Watt at least once a month. They were friends of friends of friends of everyone, and Athens, being so small and collegiate, made them famous in a way that only college bands can be. Needless to say, I was seriously pumped to see that "my band" was coming to play at The Republic on August 22, and I was curious to see how big the audience would be down here in NOLA, where indie-pop music is far from the forefront of the scene.
I should have known better than to wonder! Since their college graduation (a year before my own), the trio has been featured in countless national music magazines, signed to ATO Records and spent the time touring relentlessly and playing the biggest summer festivals all over the world. Since people from Japan, Ireland and France know them and love them, I guess they're not so much "my band" anymore. The big, collegiate, energetic crowd singing along to the lyrics last Friday night proved that I would have to share.
The set list was a perfect blend of older songs from The Whigs' self-released first album, Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip and their newer, ATO-released album, Mission Control. Getting to hear both catalogues back to back and mingling made it happily obvious that getting signed did not "polish" lead singer Parker Gispert's awesome howls and growls; they're just as raw and garage-inspired as ever. His raspy screams on songs like "Can't Hear You Coming" and "Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip" are oh-so-satisfying. And drummer Julian Dorio more than filled his shoes as Esquire magazine's "Best Drummer of 2007," sweating and shining on beat-heavy songs like "O.K., Alright" and "Right Hand on My Heart."
The best part about all of their shows is that The Whigs are new enough to be genuinely thrilled that they get to do this for a living, and, as a look at their blog will prove, Parker, Julian and Tim are still absolutely tickled to be riding the ride that is rock ‘n' roll. Their boyish enthusiasm and swaggering stage presence make their shows enjoyable, even for first timers, and keep fans coming back for more. On that note, they'll be performing at The Varsity in Baton Rouge on Sept. 30 with Brit band The Kooks, and I intend to be there. As they sign off all of their blog entries, "ROCK!"
~Meghan Jones
 |
|
