Vivian Girls: Concert Review

The Vivian Girls first gained an indie following after they played local venues and sold their music on homemade CD-Rs. So it was no surprise that they fit right at home in The Echo, a venue that is not so grand in size but notable for the up and coming artists they book.

With openers, The Black and White Years and The Beets (their touring partner), Ali Koehler, Kickball Katy, and Cassie Ramone kicked off a great weekend with their popular distorted sound overlaid with old-fashioned three harmony pop melodies. None of the girls talked much during their set, but the music spoke for itself as we took in Koehler’s hard hitting beats, Katy’s jumping bass lines (played on a bass guitar that looks very similar to one Paul McCartney has), and Ramone’s leading vocals.

Before their set started, all three girls were seen working the tiny merch table by The Echo’s door, politely making conversation with fans and taking photos with those who asked for them. They may wear skinny jeans but their oversized t-shirts and tiny blue hair bows reflected their laid-back but unusual music structure.

Although I’m sure a part of the audience members felt their mics could have been turned up a bit more, I’m also sure another part of us felt that the vocals seemed to drown well among the fast-paced guitar chords. It didn’t take long for fans to start moshing with the big volume these girls produce. Almost killing the only photographer there, the kids were going at it in such a tiny space, it seemed like the entire venue would have been swallowed by mashing bodies. However, the Vivian Girls didn’t seem to mind because they played like they didn’t even notice. This was the normal reaction to their music.

At one point, all three ladies seemed to be so engrossed in their music, we couldn’t see anything but hair in place of their faces. (Might I add that it was somewhat amusing to see that the trio seem to aesthetically please all male fans whether they were into brunettes, red heads, or blonds?) However, as cute as they may all be, we girls, were also pleased with the Vivian Girls because they just know how to rock a set. Skittering beats, fuzzy guitars and Shangri-La-like harmonies seemed to perfectly enhance the chill Friday mood.

Photo by Darren Kim