Pela / Two If By Sea @ Black Cat

Pela's Anytown Graffiti is one of my favorite albums of the year and I have been anxiously waiting for them to stop in DC for a show. Once I found out that they were coming to Black Cat with Baltimore's Two if By Sea on July 11, I started counting down the days. The best backstage shows always turn into sweaty messes and as the pictures prove, this one was no exception.

Two If By Sea

Going into their set, I was not familiar with any of Two if by Sea's music and had no idea what to expect. To my surprise, I got blown away. I think the majority of the crowd didn't really know what to expect either, but with the long guitar solos, fast paced drumming, strong vocals and solid bass playing, people really got into it and many started dancing. They were the perfect opener for Pela and they really warmed up the crowd well.

Pela

Before Pela began, I pushed my way through the crowd and made it to the front for what turned out to be a really crazy show. The guys started off with "Waiting On The Stairs." They went through the majority of their catalogue and they even played a strong cover of The Pixies' "Holiday Song." The show was so crazy that Billy started falling off of the stage and 3 of us had to catch him. A girl in the crowd even bought the band shots and they all took them together. All in all, it was the perfect high energy set and I can't wait for them to come back.

After the show was over, I got a chance to talk to both bands at the bar. I talked to Billy and Tom from Pela about how they felt about the tour, what they had in store for the future and their general feeling on the night. Billy actually mentioned the title of the new CD that they are starting to work on. If you head over to their tour blog, you can get more info on the upcoming album.

I will leave you with some mp3s and the links to the pictures that I took. Most of the pictures are horrible, but you get the idea.

Two If By Sea Pictures
Pela Pictures

Pela - Holiday Song (live Pixies cover)
Two If By Sea - Summer Borne For Sleep