A brimming Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco’s North Beach last night celebrated the initial
appearance of UK new school shoegazers, Doves. First off, however, was opening act
The Strokes, a band whose sound seemed to represent their New York City upbringing.
If they’d grown up in 1978, maybe. The Strokes were Television meets
Velvet Underground with a fair amount of attitude. The songs weren’t bad, but I’d like
to see this band about 6 months down the road and see what they’re up to.
Headliners Doves then took the stage to the crowd’s delight and to a backdrop of a
bizarre cinematic film piece involving themselves, opening with “Firesuite” and setting the mood
with their washy guitar soundscapes and dynamic drum sounds. The band live is even more
reminiscent of beefed up shoegazing circa 1992, as championed at the time by Ride,
Catherine Wheel , and, most of all, Swervedriver. The band played most of
their debut album, Lost Souls, including “Rise”, “Sea Song”, “Break Me Gently”, and
“The Man Who Told Everything”. Their first US single “Catch The Sun” naturally garnered
the most attention, with singer/bassist Jimi Goodwin dropping his bass and picking up
an acoustic guitar. Even the lone new song, “New York” was met with much audience
appreciation. Set closer “The Cedar Room” was especially expansive, rolling over the crowd
with its waves of sonic texture. For their encore, the Mancunians played musical chairs, with
drummer Andy Williams coming out to sing the raucous “Here It Comes”, with
Jimi taking his place behind the kit. The band even finished with a remnant of their past
“Spaceface”, from their previous incarnation as Sub Sub, further cementing the vibe as
early to mid ’90s, but also putting the end to the most brilliant show to hit SF this
year.
