Something irrational happens when a good band only you seemed to know about becomes the band du jour; they lose their appeal. It's not that you've outgrown them, but more likely that you are weary of what the hype will do to them. You fear that today's OC- bred hipster will over consume and then move on to the next thing and the band will waste away trying to recapture their attention.

So I entered the Black Cat on April 9 seeking some proof that Bloc Party has a staying power much greater than their hype. Sure enough, at the Black Cat I was greeted by an army of pre-pubescent, image-conscious young hipsters desperate to jump on the bandwagon of today's It band. They were a uniform and faceless mass of ringer tees, piercings, bed head and unchecked volatility.

As the surprisingly competent and fun opening band, The Ponys, warmed up the crowd I could already hear high-pitched squeals of "he's soooooo cuuuuuute." Ugh. These people can have The Killers and the bevy of other definite article bands - why can't they leave me the one band who fulfills my occasional longing for new British post-punk without making me feel as if I have to clean myself off from all of the regurgitation?

Anyway, Bloc Party came out calm, relaxed and as unassuming as I've ever seen a headliner. There were no scowls, no stances and no sneers. This was a band with a lot to prove, but they weren't taking themselves seriously. I mean come on, they had a freaking yellow Care Bear on stage with them.

On their eponymous EP and newly-released Silent Alarm, Bloc Party's sound is clean. The guitars pop in and out and tear off on riffs unexpectedly, but the lines and bridges are all well formed. Because of that, I expected a disciplined, if not sterile, performance of their recordings. Instead they breathed new life into the songs: guitars were muddier, the rhythm section was more prominent, and Kele Okereke's voice seemed even more emotional and free as it danced on top of Gordon Moakes' ominous background vocals. While upbeat and jovial, they slashed through their limited catalog as if the lyrics of "Luno" were their gigging mantra, "[t]here will be no hesitation, there will be no bullshit."

The singles "Banquet" and "Like Eating Glass" were the predictable crowd pleasers in their disappointingly short, but consistently tight and charismatic set. This band isn't nearly as important as the hype which threatens to transcend them, but they have the substance and potential to persevere long after the hipsters have moved on to the next flavor of the week.

The band is touring in Europe now. If you missed them in the States, look out for more dates beginning in late May.

Labels: Bloc Party