LIVE: P.S. I Love You/Diamond Rings @ Red Palace 2/22/11 - Part 2



If you read my last post, you'll know that I went to this show to see P.S. I Love You.  That said, I had definitely heard about Diamond Rings (real name John O'Regan). He received quite a bit of love from Pitchfork  last year and was asked to open for Robyn on her recent, large venue tour of North America. I visited his Myspace page once or twice a few months back and categorized him into the generally never revisited "save for later" part of my brain. Nothing about it was bad. I think it just sorta blended in with a lot of the synthy bands that have come out lately. I regret that now.  

Benjamin, the drummer from P.S., told me that I should stick around for what would be a great solo performance. I'm happy I did. What was clear even before he took the stage was that he wasn't going to be a singer with just a laptop stocked with beats and samples. There was a drum machine, a keyboard, and a guitar leaning against an amp. And, yeah, a laptop. I'd already found out he could sing when he took the stage with P.S. to close out their set. Things were promising. 

Then out he comes! Blue leather(ette?) jacket, a red "STAY FIERCE" t-shirt (which were for sale at the merch booth in a rainbow of colors. Alas, no cash on me), and blazing white jeans. So white that if his music career begins to falter, he can do ads for Clorox. Old-school Expos baseball hat and shutter shades. Now, at first I was kind of like, "Seriously?"  But then I thought, "This guy must have the chops to pull this outfit off." And he does. Dude layers up his beats, adds in a heavily strummed guitar, and deep vocals. The music is truly fun but never over the top. By the end of his set, a third of the crowd was drunk and dancing. On a Tuesday. In DC. In winter.

Equally appealing was his stage presence. He came out to "Play by Heart," the lead track from his Special Affections record. The song starts pretty airy; ghostly synth washes, echoing drum beats, and piano. But then he starts singing and the drama heightens. It punches through everything. It really hits you. While he sings, his body twists through  a series of choreographed dance moves that, while not MJ-worthy, are pretty brave for a DC indie club.  Fist pumps, high-kneed steppin', arm-waving, creeping, dancing spectacle. The performance was as much him as it was the music he creates. 

And that's how it went for the next 45 minutes. Alternating between dancey glories and guitar-laced pop songs, you could tell this guy loved it through and through.  He wanted you to love it as much as he did. To help ensure that, he didn't hold anything back. The glitter, the dancing, the sass, it never got old.

From Special Affections (Secret City, 2010)

Play By Heart
Wait and See

From Show Me Your Stuff single (One Big Silence, 2010)
Show Me Your Stuff

Take the jump for an awesomely athletic music video and some really bad photography.