Among ethereal stage decorations consisting of clouds hanging from the ceiling and paper foliage on the keyboard and drums, Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel of Mates of State put on an energetic show for their fans at 9:30 Club on Wednesday night.
This was the first stop on their current tour following the release of Mountaintops. Prior to the show, I was looking forward to hearing some upbeat tunes and seeing one of my favorite songwriting duos live for the first time. They did not disappoint.
Before Mates of State even began playing, Gardner and Hammel casually set up their own equipment. From the album covers for Bring it Back and Re-Arrange Us, we know that Gardner and Hammel are attractive people. However, I chalked much of that attractiveness up to artistic airbrushing, so I was somewhat taken aback by how beautiful they both are in person. Once they began playing, I snapped out of my admiring trance and bounced along to the music with the rest of the crowd.
Because it was a late show on a Wednesday night, 9:30 Club was not very crowded. This made for a more intimate concert experience that also made the show more enjoyable. There were times that I felt like I was part of a Mates of State sing-along rather than at a live show with Gardner and Hammel performing in front of me. They encouraged crowd participation and spoke conversationally to the audience in between songs. While commenting on the late hour, Hammel encouraged all of us to not go to work the next day and quit school. “That’s what we did, and it seemed to work out,” he said with a smile, before he and Gardner launched into “Think Long.”
Since their newest album Mountaintops was just released on September 13th, I expected the show to be very new song heavy. However, Mates of State knew that they have a loyal fan base and played an eclectic set that seemed to keep everyone happy. Or at least, kept everyone moving and singing along. When they played “Desire” from Mountaintops, more members of the crowd than I expected joined in with the sing-along.
Instead of yelling out for specific songs, audience members simply yelled “play some old stuff” or even the name of their favorite album. Mates of State responded and delivered by playing a variety. The first song of the set, “Get Better,” was a definite crowd pleaser. Other songs that received intense crowd reaction were “Re-Arrange Us” and “We Are Free.” Mates of State maintained smooth transitions between songs, and actually looked like they were having fun up there. The backup musicians kept up the energy onstage with their guitar, horn, keyboard, and synth skills.
Opening for Mates of State were YAWN and Suckers. Both bands had an electronic sound that wasn’t quite what I expected based on their appearance. When each act walked on stage, I was prepared to hear standard indie rock. Instead, both acts provided danceable songs that served the purpose of getting the crowd energized.
YAWN has a more ambient, unique sound. This Chicago group had a significant stage presence, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from YAWN.
Suckers was more of a wildcard. The band members switched up instruments, sometimes even playing two instruments at once. Whether you like their sound or not, you have to acknowledge the talent it takes to do that. I would definitely see Suckers live again given the chance.
Regarding Mates of State, most fans will tell you that the chemistry between the duo, a married couple, is palpable when you see them live. Because I was so close to the stage, I got to see the way they smiled at each other during and in between songs. This adorable overload might explain the saccharine nature of many of their songs. I’ve always found this to be a positive aspect of the band rather than a negative. When songs have meaningful lyrics about life and love, it is nice to see that the writers/performers actually care about each other.
By the time they played “My Only Offer” during the encore set, I barely noticed the late hour. Mates of State has an impressive stage presence and a contagious energy that made this concert a welcome mid-week event.
Photo Credit: Alison Tremblay
