The Postelles @ The Trocadero Theater (11/15)

After watching The Postelles open for The Kooks at The Trocadero Theater on the night of November 16, it was easy to see why the show was sold out. As I walked into the venue, they were just starting their first song, and I could immediately feel their contagious energy reverberating throughout the space. Stepping in a little further proved I wasn’t the only one who had fallen victim to lead singer Daniel Balk’s charisma, as the crowd was a sea of swaying bodies grooving to The Postelles’ infectious melodies. 

With their Britpop inspired indie rock tunes, this New York quartet seemed to have immaculate coordination; their sound was as flawless as you could hope for in a concert setting, displaying the immense talent of each of its members. Although they played a set consisting almost entirely of songs from their eponymous debut album, perhaps one of the highlights of their performance was their pop rendition of Elvis’ “Hound Dog,” which was as big a hit with both young and older members of the crowd. However, the one that takes the win was when they invited two of their fans to join them during “Stella.” Listen to it, and you’ll understand why having people dance around on stage makes perfect sense with this song. They closed with arguably their most popular track, “White Night”, and left the crowd fired up and anxious to see the headliner.

The Kooks walked on stage to a screaming crowd and kept the same dynamic trajectory. Most of their set stayed true to their lively sound and kept the crowd moving (the woman in front of me broke a sweat within a minute of them starting), but acoustic guitars replaced electric ones in a couple pieces, which made for a really interesting and enjoyable variety in sound. Their fan loyalty rang true during the encore when nearly everyone joined along in singing “Naïve.”

The Postelles were a near perfect transition into The Kooks as it was apparent throughout the concert that both bands held many parallels. Both have four members – a lead singer who jumps back and forth between playing accompanying guitar and interacting with the crowd by dancing around stage, a strong lead guitarist who provides backup vocals most bands could only hope for, excellent bass players and high energy drummers. From sound to indie lifestyle, both bands were a near perfect match as far as most opener/headliner pairs go. The Kooks afforded the audience the opportunity to see what the future potentially holds for The Postelles. Although The Kooks are further along in their career, I predict it won’t be long before The Postelles are headlining their own shows and gaining a similar following.

- Doug Ross, The Crazian Canadians (Tuesdays from 8-10 pm @ WQHS.org)