On three wonderful fall Sundays, the Black Cat hosted Little Steven's Underground Garage Rolling Rock And Roll Show, guaranteeing at least one great garage rock show a month. Since then, however, there has been a distinct lack of good garage in the District. The Ponys and Black Lips remedied that on Saturday.
Most notable about The Ponys set was how heavy and loud it was. The band rocked harder than expected, considering how it leaned toward poppier songs on its second album. This show celebrates the band's third album, released just a few days before, and The Ponys ignored most of its previous work to focus on the new material. If "Turn the Lights Out" was accurately represented by the show, then the band isn't looking for radio play after all.
But all the volume seemed to rob the band of its most endearing, though not its most leaned upon, influence. The garage rock was omnipresent, as was the post punk, though maybe too hard to dance to, but the set was stripped of the glam that helps the band stand out. To remind the crowd, though, The Ponys passed out party favors -- poppers and silly string -- which contributed to a loose stage show.
The punk assault covered up a lot of the elements that make The Ponys' music, actually, and the group sounds more controlled these days, despite the volume, but the sound remained recognizable as The Ponys, largely due to singer Jered Gummere's yawp and the rhythm section's drunken midnight stroll. The energy waned, though, when Gummere tossed aside his guitar for the organ. But the quartet regrouped for a raucous big finish -- "Double Vision" -- with a driving beat, bass groove and a touch of choogle.
But with so many hooks on the first two Ponys albums, the focus on the latest release, which few in the audience seemed to have had a chance to hear, left room for wanting more. So many great moments beg for the stage, but the past is the past, apparently. The Ponys did treat us to "Let's Kill Ourselves." Like the rest of the set, it was harder, louder and not as catchy as before, but it was better for that. And following up with a song Gummere said was their first 45 made it the best one-two punch of the evening.
Opening up, Black Lips was a looser band, but not as wild as its reputation. The lead guitarist did his best, leaning back to spit high into the air, swinging his guitar wildly and playing with his teeth, but the antics were limited. The music was not. It's some of the best roots punk around, a familiar sound being bludgeoned. The swampy "Boomerang" sludged along those lines and was the highlight of the set, while "M.I.A." offered the most adrenaline.
Like The Ponys, Black Lips had a mid-set lull when the wild and heavy rock took a break for tame (for the Lips), sloppy roots rock. For about three straight songs, including fan favorite "Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah," the band had swing but no teeth, too much of a departure for such a short set. But unlike The Ponys, Black Lips don't care for a more streamlined, controlled sound, instead finding contentment with the unpolished and insane.
