Tonight, You're Perfect: A Night with New Politics

Being from Cleveland, the likes of House of Blues, Grog Shop, and Agora are my venues of choice. But finally, after two months of residing in Columbus, I finally took my first trip to the lovely Newport Music Hall for the New Politics show (with Bad Suns and SomeKindaWonderful). 

As soon as I stepped foot onto floor and took in my surroundings this past Friday night, I was taken back by the chipping beauty of the interior. It is grand and dark and dirty, but that is exactly how I like my venues. It is the perfect place to forget about everything and enjoy art in its rawest form. 

The first opener was SomeKindaWonderful, who happen to have found their voice (and home) in Cleveland. I had heard of them through the scene up there, but I had never taken a listen. And I am kicking myself for waiting so late. They are a strange crew of genre-bending musicians, each bringing their own sound and voice to the group. Vocalist Jordy Towers brings a brash electricity on stage, bouncing around but then getting closer to the crowd for the Vaudevillian "Devilish Man", in which guitarist Matt Gibson flaunts around stage with a 6-string. Their song "Reverse" is written in exactly the way the title implies: the story is told backwards. And that is something truly special. The shining star of this five-piece, however, is percussionist/vocalist Sarah Dryer, a Columbus native. Her moves are calculated, yet flawless. Her style is off-center, but it works. It all works. This band is going somewhere.

Up next, were Bad Suns, hailing from indulgent and arid Los Angeles. They are an eclectic rock band who can both move and make the crowd move. The band glided through their album, Language & Perception (Vagrant Records). Lead vocalist Christo Bowman is a suave crooner, possibly the closest thing this generation will get to Jim Morrison. Perhaps the most special thing was that I overheard many in the crowd say that they were here only for Bad Suns, and it is always beautiful when an opening band garners that strong a fanbase at a show. Their three strong points were "We Move Like the Ocean", "Cardiac Arrest", and the final song, "Salt", all in which their sound really echoed off the balcony and the 1920s movie theatre architecture. It looks as if Bad Suns can only continue to rise and become a mainstay in current alternative rock.

The main attraction, New Politics, came out to pulsing lights and sounds and into "Tonight, You're Perfect". The crowd wasted no time in screaming back the lyrics, setting the tone for the rest of the night. I have been to plenty of concerts in Ohio, and I know that we always bring the noise and 

passion. The band's faces read clearly that this crowd was louder than most. Throughout the set, vocalist David Boyd would take a breather by dancing, naturally, while American drummer Louis Vecchio pounded away on his kit. With a break dancing background, Boyd can slide and roll his way through any pause or lyric, something many lead singers cannot even dream of doing.

With a setlist littered with debut album favorites ("Yeah Yeah Yeah" and "Give Me Hope", sophomore album hits ("Goodbye, Copenhagen" and "Stuck on You", performed by guitarist/vocalist Søren Hansen), a Beastie Boys cover, and a hint at their upcoming 2015 album paying homage to their Scandinavian roots, Vikings (DCD2 Records), they gave no chance to any audience member to yawn. At one point, Boyd, dressed for part of the night in a Columbus Crew jersey, attempted the traditional "OH-IO" chant, commenting, "I love that you guys do that." He also took a minute to give a dramatic, inspiring monologue, telling the crowd that anything can be a dream and anything can become a reality. As the encore neared and their newest single "Everywhere I Go (Kings & Queens)" roared and abused, he shed his shirt and climbed onto the speakers, making him eye-level with the crowd in the balcony.  At that point, New Politics was running the world. 

When the three-piece returned for their two-song encore. the crowd turned on their phone flashlights (with the help of a few vintage lighters) to sway their way through "Fall Into These Arms", and it was obvious that the band was dripping with emotion, smiling at each other and taking the moment in. "Harlem", the raucous, quintessential dance-punk song had the honor of being the final song of the night, as the crowd jumped high and screamed loud. It is in those moments that music is the only thing that matters, along with the opportunity to share it with other people that just "get it". They took a bow and the show was over, but the room was still electric long after they left the stage. 

New Politics knows how to put on a show and make the pit seem like a strobe-light-driven dance floor. You can expect 2015 to be their year, with a third album set for release, along with another probable headlining tour to support it. As their fanbase grows and their music gets louder and they dance a little faster, this band is going to be able to connect with a hell of a lot more music lovers in the near future. Expect big, big things.

//Angelia//