It was my birthday, and at the Cat, in my soon-to-be old-lady way, I was wondering why this crowd was so very young, full of X’s on those hands, not drinking but standing next to the bar and getting in my way. (It’s my birthday, and you are blocking the alcohol, little boy!)
We were all there to see Portland five-piece Starfucker, formerly Pyramiddd, sometimes STRFCKR. Having woefully missed their last DC show last spring, I had made it a mission to finally see them live after admiring their music for a couple of years, and their latest LP Reptilians, via Polyvinyl, was my prize purchase during this year’s Record Store Day.
Despite the polished indie electronica, slick album art, art-sy videos for “Bury Us Alive,” “Julius,” “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,“ and “Medicine,” and a possible nod to the Rolling Stones via their name, they were all adorably cute but much, much younger and dweebier than I’d imagined. Now, the crowd made sense. A press photo (below) that I had seen was how I had pictured them, in blazers, ties, skinny pants, and button downs, a monotone Cut Copy.
Instead, collectively, they were decked out in t-shirts, old man glasses, a women’s yellow knit cardigan sweater, and a brightly colored Mexican baja pullover, and one had grown an ironic (I hope?) mustache that was barely filled in, the absolute antithesis of the image I’d conjured. With a name like Starfucker, I had to wonder—whom exactly are they fucking? They look like they just started getting laid a couple of years ago! Is this one of those ironic hipster things?
I’m sure they get laid every night anyway; they are very cute young boys, very cute young boys who almost didn’t make it to the show. Their van “The Blood Vessel” broke down, and they had to be towed here. As a result, they didn’t get to do a proper sound check before the show, so right before their set, we were subjected to an endless sound check during which I thought my hearing was going to be blown out, standing next to the stage right speaker.
Poor guys. They tried valiantly, but I’m sorry—Ra Ra Rasputin and The State Department sound way better playing in the basement at the Space Lab. Vocals were badly muted, and during the performance itself there was a moment of horrid distortion.
No one seemed to give a fuck though!
These kids fucking loved it all, and Starfucker brought the energy to burn it down despite those sound issues. My photographer for the night and fellow TVD Editor, Jenn Bress commented that Starfucker is an electro-jam band, and appropriately, indeed, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” which she thought was a highlight of the performance. I just wanted to hear “Bury Us Alive” and “Julius,” and my birthday wish was granted. We were also treated to “Dragon Queens,” the brand new track from their split 7” with Champagne Champagne.
Perhaps I am being a bit critical about the sound because of two things: 1) this was a mere two days after FreeFest, where I was treated to some of the best electronic performances I have ever seen, including a set by Empire of the Sun that could have qualified as an electro-opera, and 2) after the second opener, Seattle duo Beat Connection, finished, I was already ready to put on ear plugs for the rest of the night.
I can only describe Beat Connection as electro elevator muzak, DJs best making fun psychedelic, sometimes tropical, soundtrack jams to post on Myspace. There were unintelligible vocals on a song or two, but mostly none at all. When you are rocking just a Mac Book and some knobs, if you are not going to have vocals, or instruments (there was a singular guitar at one point though), you have to be more innovative than this.
I had read a nice write-up by the Guardian and had seen that they had performed live on KEXP, so I was confused as to how I could dislike them so, when I generally respect the taste of those two organizations quite greatly. I was so disappointed with the set that in order to occupy my time, I attempted to buy my Neon Indian ticket as I stood there, but alas, Ticket Alternative was not cooperating with my mobile. (Does anyone have a spare they will sell to me?)
Patrick Morris of Starfucker’s fellow PDXers Strength (my current favorite newly-discovered band, who have toured with Starfucker in the past) has joined Starfucker for this tour, after Ryan Biornstad left the band to pursue a solo career. The current Starfucker lineup, originally a trio, now includes Josh Hodges, Shawn Glassford, Keil Corcoran, Ian Luxton, and Patrick Morris. That night, Morris was wearing an Alexico t-shirt under his yellow knit women’s cardigan.
I am quite sorry that I missed first opener Alexico from Mexico City, who joined Starfucker for the massive encore, by which time I could have cared less if there were vocals or instruments or not because this girl was having some fun herself, and the night was still young, even if I am not anymore.
Thanks Starfucker—you rocked my birthday, space-jam style.
Photo Credit: Jenn Bress
