Ratatat at Paradise Rock Club |
Indie kids aren’t known for their dance moves. Sure, they’ve perfected the head bob and mastered the foot stomp, but things tend to get muddled after that. As a result, the scene at Thursday night’s sold-out Ratatat show at the Paradise was host to some of the most awkward dancing I’ve seen to date. Ratatat’s brand of electro-pop bred, at first, awkward shuffles; but the volume increased, and the energy, eliciting exaggerated swaying with bouts of air-guitar arm swings — fist pumps thrown in for good measure. The crowd erupted into a bouncing frenzy which reached its peak during the group’s undisputed standout track, “Seventeen Years.”Professor Murder, on the other hand, who played the set before Ratatat, couldn’t get the kids moving. There were a handful of polite listeners, but the drone of conversation flowing from the bar never quite subsided. Their percussion-heavy songs were catchy enough, and probably would have served well at some loft show in Williamsburg, but fell flat with a crowd that was looking for something a little more, well, Ratatat.
The crowd took any opportunity available to sneak on stage with Ratatat and shake some booty before getting bounced back to the floor. And it wasn’t all indie kids either: they dominated, but hip-hoppers sporting LRG hoodies, Abercrombie girls, and BU frat boys were well-represented as well. Attribute the mix to Ratatat’s relentlessly catchy hooks and fusion of electronic and rock components — they create a sound that could serve as hip-hop beats as well indie-pop riffs.
Ratatat, with their keyboards, synthesizer, and guitars, rocked harder than I expected. Perhaps it had something to do with the way lead guitarist Mike Stroud thrashed his head of knotted long hair during the guitar solos. Perhaps not. But the crisp, clean, almost cold nature of Ratatat’s typically electro-heavy songs melted away and the familiar tracks emerged as pure rock and roll.
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