Datarock @ Rock and Roll Hotel

Posted by admin in DC Life on 06 30th, 2008 | no responses

What is it about Bergen, Norway? The city of 250,000 is the home to many bands, including Kings of Convenience, Annie, R�yksopp, Sondre Lerche, and Datarock. The latter, a group of red jumpsuited goofballs, played Saturday at the Rock and Roll Hotel and did not disappoint.

Half electronic, half guitar, the duo (which expands to a quartet on tour) lifts from ecclectic places, like the musical Grease (”Computer Camp Love”), Factory Records’ funkier stuff (”Fa Fa Fa”), The Cure (”Princess”), and the ’80s in general (the band’s jumpsuits, headless guitars, and wraparound shades). The music includes a lot of quick, shuffling guitars, fast and impressive drumming, electronic beats and samples, and some saxophone.

There is an image gallery to that entry which you can view at DCist

Being funny is a key part of both the music and the stage show,

with band members exhorting the crowd to do aerobics in unison, main everyone in a rendition of “(I’ve Had) The day Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing, and being generally amusing on stage. The song titles help too, like “Night Flight to Uranus” and “I Used to Dance with My Daddy.”

More than just ’80s nostalgia, they’re good performers with fun, danceable songs. The band was touring behind final year’s Datarock Datarock, and played a few new songs as well.

Openers were Richmond’s Ki:Theory and D.C. DJs Sneakers in the Club. Ki:Theory (pronounced “key theory”) played contemporary rock with electronic flushes and weren’t poor at first, but the songs sounded the same after awhile. The lead singer was additionally a bit overly dramatic and looked like a Goo Goo Doll, taking absent from the effect.

Original post by Andrew Wiseman

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