Words and Photos by Aaron Richter
Initial gripes aside—weak lineup, unorganized doors, “get there early” warnings to badge-carriers—self-titled had a blast on the first night of Williamsburg’s Northside Festival. Deciding to keep it simple Thursday, we pulled inside Public Assembly, close to the fest’s brand-cluttered check-in station, for an anticipated set from DFA’s left-field (for the label) signing Free Energy (ex-Hockey Night). James Murphy’s been piddling around with these guys for a while now, and judging by their underwhelming MySpace offerings, the relationship hasn’t quite yet proved fertile. But the songs are certainly there. Free Energy dishes exhilarating power-pop and marquee-bound classic rock, carefully graced with a shade of necessary irony. Onstage, their sound is massive, accentuated by the lead guitarist’s hammer-on solos and virtuosic heroics. The set ranged from raucous, dirty bar rock—think Cheeseburger with less buttcrack—to a few moments that soared so epic, we nearly expected a cover of “Rosalita” to follow. Whether Murphy is a proper fit as producer is yet to be shown. But with songs this fun and bubbling of potential, it’ll be tough to fuck ‘em up.
Extra bonus nod to Werewolves, which we caught in Public Assembly’s back room and whose set we’re not certain was affiliated with the Northside Fest (couldn’t find it on the lineup). To make this snappy: Werewolves, live, came across as a high school band that formed around a common love for the Rapture and, a month ago, heard “Roadrunner” by the Modern Lovers for the first time, and it totally blew their minds. However, that’s far from the gag for this band. Their recorded tracks revel in stabs toward droning avant-garde and draw heavily from the Velvet Underground. So yeah… Worth a listen. Plus, their drummer looks like Pau Gasol. Check out more photos of both bands after the jump.
[Free Energy is a big, brave leap from DFA's typical output, and we can't wait to hear how James Murphy handles these guys in the studio.]
[Werewolves were a pleasant surprise, though the music offered on their MySpace is even more impressive.]
