Eli Hirsch of courtship. on March 24, 2018 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
What does it mean when an artist has “it?” The concept of “it” has been explored in just about every cliche’ movie or tv show where some band or aspiring artist meets a producer, manager, random guy in a bar, who tells them that they’ve got “it” after viewing said artist’s inspiring performance.
What even is “it?” Talent? Charisma? Marketability? Maybe it is the sum total of all of these factors put into a theoretical equation to calculate artistic success?
These jumbled thoughts were bouncing off the walls of my mind after I watched the L.A. synth-pop duo courtship. play a four-song opening set for groups The Hunna and Coasts at the Marquis Theater.
The theater was filling up to about half capacity as I grabbed a drink and stood next to the photographer for the show near the front of the stage. I was soon informed that earlier that day, courtship.’s van with all of their gear was stolen from a parking lot, leaving lots of questions. Is the show still happening? Were they going to get their stuff back? How must the guys feel? As far as I knew from looking the band up, courtship. consisted of two-dudes, Eli Hirsch and Micah Gordon, who had recently released some singles that got quick attention, and they were now on a big tour with two up and coming U.K. groups: The Hunna, and Coasts.
My train of thought was stopped in tracks however, as courtship. took the stage. Micha and Eli claimed a keyboard and guitar and with a drummer between them, they filled the stage along with some simple lighting. This was a juxtaposition of my expectations for a synth-pop set-up with lots of effects and electronics in their sound, but it was nice to see them have any equipment after the day they had.
The duo greeted the audience and thanked Coasts for loaning them gear, as they informed the crowd of the unfortunate equipment theft hours earlier. But these guys had no time to wallow, and only time to blow expectations, launching into their first song “Sunroof.”
Immense energy emanated from the group as they played fast, loud and with smiles on their faces. I didn’t think the studio version of the song was as much of an upbeat concert opener, but these guys were there to put on a show, and no heavy distortion or fancy vocal effects were needed to create catchy energetic rhythms performed with precision.
The same could be said for the next single “Perfect People,” which further proved courtship. knew how to work around limitations. Many artists can produce great work when given unexpected confines, and the performance of the track had a rougher and more loosely constructed sound compared with it’s groovy and atmospheric studio counterpart, but all of the catchy charm.
After two well performed catchy jams, the band decided to include a little more narrative about the theft earlier that day, with a tribute track “the ode to the asshole that stole our van.” This immediately grabbed the audience’s attention as melodious piano chords led to a hilarious and fresh song made special for that show. The interactive shout chorus of “Fuck you Mr. Robber/ Fuck your mother and fuck your father” certainly added to the fun atmosphere as well.
They finished out their short set with a fantastic cover of Fountains of Wayne’s, “Stacy’s Mom.” It’s always a challenge to top a classic, but with full crowd involvement, interesting instrumentation with the lone guitar and keyboard combined with a committed performance, I forgot I was reviewing a show and simply had fun singing along
Sadly the fun had to end as they walked off the stage thanking everyone in attendance, and leaving me with a demand for justice upon the asshole who stole their van. But these feelings were absolutely a testament to their supreme showmanship.
In just four songs these friendly dudes captured the undivided attention of an audience who were probably not even there to see them. On a day where a portion of their livelihoods was swept away from them, they came onstage with beaming smiles and a desire to perform the show they had promised, and I hope they know it paid off.
I didn’t think I would have that much to write about going to cover an opening band without a full album to their name. I also didn’t think a four-song set would leave me inspired to face my obstacles in my future, and I certainly didn’t anticipate recollecting phrases from cheesy music dramas. But whatever “it” is, these guys got it.
Micah Gordon into the set on March 24, 2018 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
You can contact CU Independent Arts Editor Austin Willeke at Austin.Willeke@colorado.edu
