Review: The Cribs @ Santos Party House

The Cribs @ Santos Party House – June 6, 2012
Review: Geanna B.

Family: the strongest bond of all. Forged in the deep, lava pits of Mordor, the bond of family is one that cannot ever be broken, one that will truly stand the test of time for all eternity, when good and evil come together and produce the fiery sounds of garage rock-revival music for the early 21st century, putting an end to human suffering for once and for all!! Phew!

Of course, I’m referring to The Cribs, who began their summer US tour last week and made a little pit-stop over at the Santos Party House on the way. To date, The Brothers Jarman have joined the ranks of some of my fave groups of brotherly love, alongside musical talents like The Jackson 5, Oasis, and the insurmountable musical genius of Hanson.



The boys sauntered on stage and immediately went into “Come On, Be a No One” from their latest album, In the Belly of the Brazen Bull. The wailing chorus and tight, hammering chords got everyone going right away – the jumping and bopping and moshing (?!) lasted all. night. long. In the midst of frenzy, Ryan noted, "Everytime we come to New York, we get a mosh pit. I don't know if that means we rule or you rule... either way, someone rules." Packed into the venue like little sweaty sardines, it would have been hard not to get caught up in the fun. I apologize to everyone I likely spilled vodka soda on – but don’t worry, it’ll come out in the wash.

Fact: I have loved The Cribs since college. Their first album was like a lo-fi, pop melody answer to my dreams, so genuine and catchy and accessible from the start. Unlike many of their peers, The Cribs have maintained a steady fan base and consistently crank out great new material – I think In the Belly is one of their best albums yet and proof that they’re gonna be around for a good long while. That, and they have such lovely hairdos.

With their diehard fans in tow (I literally met into a woman at the bar who I later saw crying from joy), the boys seemed truly gratified to be on stage while the crowd sang along to every song, especially during the older tracks. At one point, they even started taking requests from the audience, leading to a short snippet of "The Watch Trick," though just blue balling us because they couldn't remember the rest. Taking a cue from my dream journal, they then went into "Be Safe" off 2007's Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, which includes spoken word verses from Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, with video of Mr. Ranaldo projected on the screen behind them. It was super awesomesauce to see that go down live. Check.

They followed this with recent single "Glitters Like Gold," and Ignore the Ignorant's "City of Bugs". The show ended with scratching guitar necks and kicked over drum kits, because that's how rock stars roll. As the lights came on, we poured into the streets, glistening with sweat and floating home through streets of New York. Damn, I love summer in this city.

Setlist
Come On, Be A No One
I'm a Realist
What About Me?
Cheat On Me
Hey Scenesters
Anna
Back to the Bolt Hole
Mirror Kisses
Jaded Youth
To Jackson
Another Number
The Watch Trick (partial)
Direction
Be Safe
Chi-Town
Glitters Like Gold
Men's Needs
City of Bugs