Meeting of Important People @ Brillobox, Pittsburgh, PA Sat 3/28/09

April 2nd, 2009 - by Niles Rockwell

Indie-pop, Pittsburgh, Reviews, Shows

photo by hugh twyman

If Keith Moon were still alive and didn’t play drums for the Who, he would definitely play for Meeting of Important People.

I caught them for the first time at their CD Release show this past Saturday in Pittsburgh.  I’ve heard the name mentioned in musicians’ circles around town before, but never got to hear them live or on disc.

Normally when you hear Garage Rock, it can easily go either way.  More often than not it’s the not-so-good kind.  But not this time.  The band opened up with an instrumental piece that had a bad-ass guitar and bass groove that wrapped itself around a raucous beat.  Definitely got my attention and the crowd of hipsters dancing around.

Their songs are simple and catchy, yet not forced or annoying like so many indie bands these days.  It reminded me of “I Can’t Explain”-era Who.  Simple, delicate melodies, in-your-face guitar riffs, bouncing bass, and crash-bang-boom drums.  A really well-executed, deconstructed sound that a lot of bands go for but just can’t pull off.  Meeting definitely has it down.

Every song I heard that night had energy and attitude.  On the record, everything comes together to really nail the vintage sound-even with the production values-without sounding hokey or fake.  Doubled Byrds and Kinks styled vocals = Killer.  This could easily be 1966.

The Indie Rock trend in this town has become much more good-times oriented over the last few years.  But not many bands could really make it believable, until now.  The old dark and brooding hipster sound has been replaced with upbeat rhythms and catchy melodies.  It’s Indie Pop Music done right for once.  And MOIP are bringing back the fun and rebellion of the 1960s British Mod Invasion.  Listen to “Dead Man” on their Myspace page for a taste of what they do.

I dare you to not like it.

Upcoming Dates

Apr 23 2009        10:00P
Sierra Grille       Northampton, Massachusetts

Apr 24 2009       8:00P
51 3rd       Troy, New York

Apr 25 2009       8:00P
Modern Formations **All-Ages**       Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

May 23 2009       9:00P

Lit Lounge       New York, New York