Concert: Tapes ‘n Tapes

Tapes 'n Tapes at Rock and Roll Hotel
Tapes n Tapes at Rock and Roll Hotel by dcjasmine

“Is anyone else sweating through their pants?”

Although it might be hard to remember with our current snowpocalypse, Friday’s Tapes ‘n Tapes show at the Rock and Roll Hotel was on an unseasonably warm night, and frontman Josh Grier was feeling the heat. As more and more people packed into the sold-out venue, he wasn’t the only one sweating through his pants (as verified by a show of hands).

Tapes ‘n Tapes didn’t let that slow them down, though, and they kept the rock going well into the night. The crowd was pretty excited for the first part of their set, especially when they played some of their more popular songs like “Hang Them All” and “Cowbell.” We were packed in pretty tight in the beginning, and there was even some dancing going on, but then it felt like everyone spread out as the heat just got unbearable. They also started playing a lot of new stuff, which seemed a little less accessible to me.

I don’t know if it was the temperature or what, but that was one crazy crowd on Friday. One of the couples in my immediate area was dancing to the house music they had playing in between sets, and then all of the sudden it took a turn for the hot and heavy.

Not long after that, a drunk college guy had the brilliant idea to light up a cigarette, even after being warned by the girl who gave it to him that he couldn’t smoke inside. I’ve never seen the security guards at Rock and Roll move so fast–three of them were on him before he finished his first drag. Apparently, they thought he was responsible for the suspicious weed smell that appeared right as Tapes ‘n Tapes took the stage. Where did they think they were, Nissan Pavillion?

Overall, this was a pretty enjoyable show. They even took the time to decorate a little bit, with the blue snake lights you can see on the mike stand in the photo above. Not exactly Martha Stewart, but it’s something.

Jasmine is a Spin magazine contributor who is completely obsessed with music and all things new and different. She’s lived in the DC area since 2006, and still has plenty to discover about this great area! Find out why she loves DC.

5 thoughts on “Concert: Tapes ‘n Tapes

  1. The Subjects were pretty decent Friday night. Some might say it’s the cliche sound coming out of New York over the last few years, but I liked their blend of indie and garage rock. I kind of wish that had been put second on the line-up, so more people could have seen them. Plus their style leads in to Tapes ‘n Tapes better than Wild Light. I would make an effort to see them again in DC.

    The make-out couple was the highlight of the night until Tapes ‘n Tapes took the stage.

  2. I really dug The Subjects, and pretty much completely second what Matt said about them. I thought they had kind of a Vampire Weekend-ish vibe, and definitely should have been the second opener instead of the first.

  3. Interesting… Their first EP was a lot wilder-sounding and raw than their new stuff (and their live show seemed to follow suit a bit), so if you weren’t that into the Vampire Weekend aspect of it, try to find that EP. I feel like a real heel for missing this show!