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The Brunettes, Tasty World, 10/10/07

by Meghan Jones
10/16/2007

The Brunettes came to Athens once before, opening up for The Shins at the 40 Watt back in spring of 2005. I shrugged them off, thinking they would be riding the wave of rock-girl bands, likening their name to that of The Donnas, and deciding instead to drink cheaply at Room 13 before the show. Lucky for me, I headed into the 40 Watt while The Brunettes were still playing; it had to have been one of the happiest, most exuberant shows ever to grace the 40 Watt stage. They had the same bubblegum-indie-outer space sounds of Architecture in Helsinki, and I was hooked.

Well, The Brunettes, hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, came back to Athens last Wednesday, October 10, playing at Tasty World. They were on tour to support their newest album, Structure and Cosmetics, which was released back in August on Sub Pop records. Needless to say, I had high as the sky expectations, having been so thrilled with their last show. And I was even more excited that this time they were headlining!

So, after a lovely opening set by LA-based Ferraby Lionheart, they took the stage around midnight with their many instruments and started off with a mix of songs from the new album, slower and quieter than the singable melodies on their earlier EP, Mars Loves Venus. They did not let me down, not for a minute, no sir.

Jonathan and Heather, the long-time couple at the foundation of the band, vary up their accompanying band from tiny to huge. Their homeland label, Lil' Chief Records, seems to be a bit like Elephant 6 or Orange Twin in that all of the members play with everyone else, so you just never know what you'll get. On Wednesday, it was a group of five, Jonathan and Heather included, which resulted in a small, intimate show.

Nonetheless, their stage energy was high and lively, and in the middle of the show they had a three-song dance contest right in front of the stage. The winner was promised a copy of the new CD, even though they were out of them that night.

It is obvious in person that Jonathan's voice, which has been criticized for sounding put-on or mocking, is actually what it sounds like. It's how he talks, it's how he sings; it's actually quite charming. And Heather wowed the audience by playing keyboards, two (TWO!) different sized glockenspiels and, for a few special songs, the oboe! At the end of the show, in a grand act of musician modesty, the band proclaimed their hatred for encores (hallelujah!) and played "the two songs that would have been [their] encore, had [they] played one." Nothing not to love about that.

It is one thing to go out, buy their new album and listen to it while dancing wildly around your room. It is quite another to see them live, "Wow!" with awe at the sheer number of instruments they play in an hour and dance with the rest of the audience as close to the stage as possible while Jonathan and Heather make cute comments about each other. The Brunettes said they would be coming back to Athens in the springtime, and I can't wait, but until then, I guess the first option will have to do.