After a quick buzz built around New York band, Cults, just last year, it was if they were ghosts. People were talking about them, but they didn’t know who they were, what they looked like, or where they came from. All that was known was that they were two film students from NYU.
Amazing the difference a year can make. They have since signed to Columbia Records, played endless festivals, and are playing New York what seems to be every other month. The duo has become a quintet and are selling out nearly every show they book. It’s pretty amazing how the music world works.
Last night at Music Hall of Williamsburg, the band played to a sold out audience with the poise and energy of a far more experienced band. They’ve grown up in a very short amount of time. I had seen them at Knitting Factory a few months ago where I left questioning the strength of lead singer Madeline Follin’s voice. This is definitely not an issue as she easily belted out all the toughest notes in nearly each and every song.
Surprisingly, it was only their hit song “Go Outside” that disappointed me. The live rendition failed to match the recorded version’s thick, layered vocals that make the single so amazing. That seemed to be one of the only flaws of the evening for Cults. If you like Cults, their live show is an experience to behold. For those looking to be swayed, I’m afraid this show would have done little.
Opening for Cults was both Guards and Writer.
Guards, led by Richie Follin, lead singer of Cults’ (Madeline Follin) younger brother, possessed the same energy of his big sister’s band. The two bands stage antics are strangely similar too. Guards put on a great show, yet drowned out vocals and awkward arrangement of omnichord in the front and center are what I remember most. Other than that, their set was incredibly solid and far more digestible than you might expect.
San Diego-based brother duo Writer was the shocker of the night. Though it’s just two of them on stage, they were able to duplicate the sound of a much larger band. I definitely recommend checking out their studio material!
These bands are still on tour and are going down to DC, Maryland, then up to Massachusetts before heading west. Click here for more dates.
