The electro-pop trio from Scotland graced the stage on Friday night to a sold-out crowd at the Black Cat.
They stopped in DC between playing the Jimmy Fallon show and the Firefly festival. For weeks, they have toured the US, playing sold-out shows and festivals from California to Williamsburg. This is particularly impressive because they don’t even have an album yet.
Chvrches wowed the shit out of the internet when they produced a track titled “Lies” last May and “Mother We Share” last September. Since then, they have fought to satiate fans demanding more.
The opening band was their London-based tour mates Still Corners. Not quite as upbeat as Chvrches, Still Corners has an indie dream pop sound that seems to take some elements from Purity Ring and others from Beach House. Hazy and ephemeral, Still Corners wove seductive vocals with glossy synths from their new album Strange Clouds to satisfy an eager crowd waiting for the main event.
Iain Cook and Martin Doherty were the first of Chvrches to take the stage, starting the show with throbbing synth beats that paved the way for Lauren Mayberry’s vocals on “Lies.” Mayberry, who impressively holds a both Master’s degree and a Law degree, easily finds her footing on stage and coaxed fans into singing along.
Chvrches played songs off of their new EP Recover and a teaser of their upcoming album Bones of What You Believe due out in September this year.
While Mayberry’s Fugazi references may have sadly fallen on deaf ears in DC, their music certainly did not. She spoke to the crowd between songs in a small friendly voice like she was playing to a room full of close friends. She made jokes about the President and laughed at a brief technical snafu. Yet when the synth kicked in, she was confident and in charge. DC responded with one of the better crowds I have seen in a while, singing along and actually dancing.
While some other bands may find it easy to utilize a backing track, Chvrches played each note live for fans. Nearing the end of the show, Doherty took over main vocals for “Tides” while Mayberry pecked away on a drum machine. They closed the event with “Mother We Share” and an encore of Prince’s “I Would Die For You.”
Electro-pop bands are perhaps becoming all too common, but Chvrches manages to stay original, partly because Cook and Doherty are excellent producers with plenty of experience, and partly because Mayberry has a fresh take on lyrics with a voice that is so trusting it makes you yearn for more.
Chvrches is off to tour Europe and Japan for the next two months. You can catch them when they return to the US in September and November.
STILL CORNERS
Photos: Nick Balleza
