Three songs into The Dodos’ concert, lead singer Meric Long bashfully looked up behind his hoard of hair and said, “”Wow, you guys are nice.””
The Dodos, who headlined at Club Congress Tuesday night, hold a special place in their hearts for The Old Pueblo — and for good reason. The city was their first gig out of San Francisco before they infiltrated the indie scene.
Fans young and old came out to see the trio light up the stage. Some jumped along to the heavy beat, others simply swayed. Long’s voice crooned into the microphone while he jammed out on his beat-up guitar. Logan Kroeber, clad in an Amoeba Music t-shirt, experimentally played drums. Keyton Snyder pounded on the vibraphone. All to the backdrop of the quintessentially southwestern Hotel Congress.
But The Dodos weren’t the only ones to rile up the crowd.
The Ruby Suns opened for the experimental folk band. Hailing from New Zealand, the band gained a lot of attention from the Tucsonan audience.
“”It’s kinda cute,”” bassist Amee Robinson of The Ruby Suns said of the city of Tucson. The band even wanted to learn “”Bear Down, Arizona.”” So Robinson was taught the cheer as practice for her Halloween costume: a cheerleader. The cheer made them feel like one of the crowd, they said.
At the merchandise table, Robinson said the trio makes a perfect pairing. “”It only makes sense,”” she said. The electro-garage-pop band rocked the crowd making for an energetic opener. You could tell the band fed off each other well. I was quite taken aback by the response the band received.
Another opener, The Miniature Tigers, trekked all the way from Phoenix for the Congress gig. With catchy tunes and a same-state face, the audience ate up the semi-local band.
“”We like the Phoenix Wildcats. I mean wait, that’s the Sun Devils. I’m not that smart, (but) at least I’ve got looks,”” lead singer Charlie Brand said. This joke surpassed the normal stage banter at concerts. With a mindset to put the audience at ease, The Miniature Tigers set the bar for opening bands.
The folk band even dressed the part of being at home with their flannel shirts and gym shorts. I found myself opening up to their quirky vibe.
From the bar to the netted off under-21 area, the concert wooed the audience. No matter the age, every concert-goer earned the price of their ticket. Although the headliner was what people came out to see, The Ruby Suns and The Miniature Tigers completed the $12 package. Each band had their own unique sound that melded well together from set to set.
The bands created a relaxed vibe by showing their affection for Tucson. When a bunch of bands become the fans of your town, what’s not to like? And it showed. As the three bands played into the night, I realized, this is the true meaning of good company.
