Pony Up
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 14, 2006 9:11PM
By this point the whole fucking Valentine’s Day thing has been beaten to death. So we’re not going to say, “Oh boo-hoo, are you all alone tonight? Here’s a show to make you feel good.” No, we’re not. Instead we’re going to treat you like a bunch of grown-ups (well, most of you at least) and just clue you in to some rawkin’ live music this evening.
As far as local groups go, The Ponys are easily – well, next to Tweedy & Co. -- the band with the most press/buzz in the last year or two. The primary problem with all of this ‘buzz” is that if you merely listen to the group’s two albums one would be forgiven for wondering why the hell the accolades get tossed towards the Ponys with such frequency. Both discs are filled with short, punchy blasts of garage rawk that’s fun to listen to and, most importantly, makes you want to break shit and drink PBR. The end result though is no better, or worse, than a legion of like-minded groups.
However the studio isn’t really where The Ponys do their best work. One has to see them live to really appreciate why the kids in Brooklyn go apeshit over a little punk band from Chicago. On-stage this little combo just emanates great gobs of hipster cool without ever threatening pretension or provoking the collective gag reflex in the audience most groups surfing oodles of press tend to do. Instead The Ponys put down their heads and wring more noise out of their dimestore guitars, thunder-sticks, acid-skewed Tin Pan Alley keys and Moon-ish kit than anyone else lapping at their heels. Singers Jared and Melissa exude cool but do it in such a way as that dweeb in the back of the room fells both invited to and an integral part of the party.
That’s the key, we think. The Ponys may be the coolest kids in the class right but they never fail to seem slightly embarrassed by this fact. This response only spurs them forward to prove themselves with the end result always being a rollicking party.
The Ponys play Double Door tonight with Sybris and The Drones. Don’t call it a Valentine’s Day show. Instead call it what it is: a sexy good time.
Photo by Tom Shekleton