Tribes

I am feeling awfully lucky to have caught this "future stadium-act" at such a small venue. The Mercury Lounge is such a cozy little spot, and the drink prices are reasonable for NYC. The opening act, Big Scary, from Australia were a pleasant surprise. A two-piece band, walking "the songlines" in the footsteps of The White Stripes, Big Scary displayed tons of versatility in their stylings, an eclectic mix of guitar, synth, and aggressive drumming. I enjoyed their set more than I originally expected, as they built up to a nice crescendo. Then the lights went down, "London Calling" blasted over the loud speakers and you could feel the crowd buzzing with anticipation. TRIBES band members: Johnny Lloyd (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Jim Cratchley (Bassist, Backing Vocals), Dan White ( Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), and Miguel Demelo (Drums) jumped on stage and immediately wen full force into their set. Dan and Johnny sincerely professed their love for New York and the crowd responded, mirroring their enthusiasm. They thanked the audience for their support many times during the show, even pointing out some faces they recognized from their previous show. After the show, the fellas from TRIBES, joined the crowd at the bar. I had a chance to meet and talk with Johnny, Dan and Miguel. They were all so gracious, humble, and friendly. They each thanked me for coming and supporting and seemed genuinely interested in who I was as well. I got a chance to tell them personally, that I think they are going to BLOW UP stateside and they were extremely modest in their retort, seemingly doubtful. I even got to take pics with Johnny and Dan. They also told me that they would be BACK in NYC in JUNE, likely at the BOWERY BALLROOM. I told them they could count on me being there, AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO ! Trust me when I say TRIBES WILL BE HUGE! and SOON ! (I am never wrong about these things) Having recently signed with Island Records (who incidentally sign all of my favorite bands), and hitting #10 on the UK charts (why are those brits always way ahead of american listeners?) . I expect a meteoric rise similar to Kings of Leon.