Sarahindie

The Studio at Webster Hall should more accurately be called “The basement of Webster Hall.” But vodka is $5 and the bathrooms are convenient. So it’s ok by me.

This is This Is Ivy League’s first all ages show and as such, I should have expected to fill up fast with Cobra Starship fans. It did fill up fast. Doors were at 7 (though the tickets said 8 ) and when I arrived at 8:15, the place was nearly full.

Opener World Atlas is so twee that the first friend on their MySpace page is “Twee as Fuck.” Trufax. Their influences are Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura. That is so obvious. But I can’t remember the last time I saw a band that was 50% (or more) female. I think it was probably never. The lead singer looks like J from The Cloud Room. My friend Hilary notes that he looks sort of like Jared Padalecki. So he’s Jared Padalecki styled by J. (Big forehead! All denim!) Plus an unsettling, Dexter-esque stare.

Oh, they’re playing a song that sounds exactly like the verses of “Take Your Mama Out.” The girls are very endearing.

Appearance notes: Ryland has a new, very Beatles 1965, haircut and Alex seems to have lost weight. Both their keyboardist and their bassist have impressively vertical Morrisey-y hairstyles. Every male on stage was required to wear a suit.

Instrumentation notes: I have never seen them with a keyboardist before. And the keyboardist looks like John Mayer before he grew into his hair. And his nose.

The tall blondes behind me talk for about an hour about how Ryland talks to them and magazines want to photograph them. Compared to the posturing at a real scene show, it’s endearing. Until I turn around and come face to face with their dead, Taylor Momsen-esque stares. They just stare. It’s terrifying.

The band plays a new song from the follow-up album they may never record. Like the rest of the 1960s, they are now dabbling with psychedelics. There is a fantastic Q and the Mysterians vibe on the keys.

To sum up, they were adorable. This show worked out better than the last, when the audience was a little too rowdy for the band to properly take center stage. And considering that there were at least four girls with video cameras directly in front of me, I expect that the whole show is already on YouTube.