Beauty Pill

at The Black Cat (mainstage), 9/2/2006


An expanded Beauty Pill put on quite a show. They're up to six people now, including two drummers for most of the set. Aaron cracked me up by referring to them as the "indie rock Steely Dan." Not really a bad analogy... The band is driven by Chad Clark who happens to be a studio wizard who makes gorgeous recordings with very high production values, then the band is pulled together to realize the songs live. I'm not 100% certain about their creative process, so I'm assuming that's an oversimplification, but maybe not so far off?

Set seemed really short, but maybe I was just cranky after waiting so long (Soccer Team and Aquarium were fine, but seemed totally rudimentary in comparison with the headliners). Highlights included "Lifeguard in Wintertime," and "Prison Song" delivered by Jean Cook and a rippin' version of "The Western Prayer."

Devin Ocampo on drums = always rock solid. Chad Molter also on drums = sometimes overkill, but sometimes cool. With the large band, they're able to double lots of things, recreating some of the lush textures on the records. And another band in town featuring two-thrids of Medications... Ubiquitous is an understatement.

Excellent performance - really well put together and well executed. I think it's safe to say that this is one of the most sophisticated bands in DC. They operate, technically, on a level that most of their peers simply can't reach.

Photo by Flickr user goodgovernor.