The Black Kids: Poppy Cure-esque Fun

So I saw the Black Kids perform at Webster Hall on Wednesday. The Black Kids, with songs like "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You," are full of youthful pop tunes. I first heard of the Black Kids in Spin Magazine, with their article promoting the Black Kids as an up-and-coming group. Reggie Youngblood, the band's songwriter, leading singer, and guitarist, admits that the Cure was a major influence in his musical stylings: that much is transparent in the music. I have to think that it's kind of ironic that I have previously complained that the similarly-named band, The Black Keys, also strikes me as a clearly derivative band. Yet, acknowledging their derivative sound and moving on, you find that the music's quality is appealingly addictive.

The Black Kids played a short set, only an hour long. They played their album songs, as well as a cover of a Magnetic Fields song, and one song not on their album. Why such a short set? They don't yet have a larger repertoire of songs. But, that said, they played a solid performance. The crowd (see picture below) was packed. I found myself watching their set from the balcony, where, while I did not consistently get a clear, unobstructed view, I had space to enjoy the music and see the event from a bird's eye view.