[May 16] On this night, the Drums brought their feverish New York indie-pop swagger to St James Powerhouse to a capacity crowd. Playing mostly materials from their lauded eponymous debut album, the band, led by charismatic frontman Jonathan Pierce, took the crowd through an intense set filled with dancing, sweating, dancing and more sweating.
The magnetic energy of Pierce’s vocals and crazy dancing pulled the crowd mercilessly to the front of the stage. The crowd—of mainly teenyboppers—sang along to infectious tunes like “I Need Fun in My Life” and “Let’s Go Surfing.” But the biggest draw was Pierce, who made the crowd feel as if they were part of the band. He shared the microphone and got everyone in the highly-responsive crowd to sing along, going into the crowd every now and then to engage with the fans.
Meanwhile, on the other segment of the dancefloor, the girls were oggling at the baby-faced guitarist Connor Hanwick.
While Pierce remained on overdrive, keyboardist-guitarist Jacob Graham “floated” with the music, waving his hands around, as if he was some orchestra conductor. Coupled with Pierce’s outrageous vocals, the sounds of the band seamlessly intertwined into a merry soundscape.
We think The Drums deserved the resounding reception they received from start to finish as they’d given their all. Their raw energy and refusal to commit to the tried-and-tested musical landscape showcases what indie (no matter how pop-ish they sound like) is all about: Not caring what anybody thinks.
