Sexy. Racy. Somewhat indecent. No, I’m not talking about Kim Kardashian’s new selfies, but about Cherub’s set at 9:30 Club last week. Cherub, consisting of Jordan Kelly and Jason Huber from Nashville, formed in 2010 and has since produced four awesome albums, the latest of which is Year of the Caprese. They are most known for their bouncy single, “Doses and Mimosas”, which topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart this February. In case you can’t tell, this song doesn’t exactly boast the deepest of lyrics, but like all their music it’s catchy and fun to dance to. In my opinion, the lesser-known songs, like “Love You Right” and “Lynndenberries”, are the true crème de la crème of their repertoire.
After seeing the electro-funk duo in New York City a couple of years ago, I became a huge fan of their groovy, rather bad-mouthed music and prayed to the sweet Lord that I would be able to see them again live. Luckily, they decided to stop by D.C. on their Champagne Showers tour at the best concert venue in town, 9:30 Club, on the eastern end of U St. corridor.
Always on latino time, I arrived pretty late and only caught the last few songs of the opening act, Ghost Beach. This New York-based twosome sounds like the love child of 1980s pop music and smooth electronica, and the only thing more awesome than their jams was one of the dude’s majestic afro.
The concert was incredibly packed and sold-out since September, with thirsty students scrambling for their beers before Cherub arrived on stage. The last time I saw them, two girls threw their lacy A-cup bras at Jason’s face, so I was excited to see what was in store for them that night. After an eternal 10-minute wait, Jordan and a barefoot Jason came out, dressed with floral bandanas, buttoned-up collars and a whole lot of denim. They started off with less popular songs, like “Jazzercise ‘95” and “Don’t Forget Me” and slowly built up to the hits like “Heartbreaker”, “Monogamy” and “XOXO”. The duo is amazing live not only because they dance like a slightly anesthetized Mick Jagger, but because they add a lot more jazzy, sexy notes to existing songs. Cherub killed it again, playing a funky cover of Calvin Harris’ “Feel So Close” and ending, as always, with an extended version of “Doses and Mimosas”.
Although there was no bra-chucking, their new set and sweaty moves definitely made up for it. Cherub’s concert was a great way to unwind after a busy week, so if midterms and White House break-ins have you feeling stressed, know that 9:30 is always a good time.
Upcoming Concerts:
– Sound Remedy – Oct. 10th ($18)
– Citizen Cope – Oct. 12th ($46)
– Julian Casablancas – Oct. 17th ($35)
– Cold War Kids – Oct. 24th ($28)
– RAC – Oct. 26th ($28)
– Smallpools & Magic Man – Oct. 31st ($46)
9:30 Club 815 V St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 265-0930
