Tokyo Police Club know how to command a stage and entrance a crowd — even when the stage is hardly elevated in the corner of a bar, and the crowd is less than 200 people.
At DC9 on Friday, the Canadian rockers treated the tiny club stage like it was the most important venue they’d ever play. Their sound is large and powerful — ferocious electric guitar riffs fill each song, and lead singer Dave Monks’ unmistakably unique voice adds a ‘angry high school garage band’ layer to their mature musicianship — but it fit perfectly in the compact venue.
During the performance, Monks flawlessly executed the role of the rock-and-roll frontman. He was charismatic and warm, creating intimacy in the room that made their set more than just any old concert — it was a show worth remembering.
Many of the most memorable moments of the night stemmed from Monks’ star power. During one song, he stepped into the crowd, bass and all, and performed standing among his fans. In another, he removed his mic from the stand and whipped it around on stage like a windmill.
Dave Monks, lead singer and bassist of Tokyo Police Club, performs at DC9 in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2019 (Allison O’Reilly/For The Diamondback).
Tokyo Police Club formed in 2005, so they had about 14 years worth of musical growth to display on stage. They are currently on tour promoting their 2018 release, TPC.
The first half of the setlist mostly consisted of tracks from TPC, displaying their ability to put on an incredible performance without relying on the nostalgia-factor of their 2000s-based stardom. They opened the night with high-energy, exciting tracks such as ”New Blues,” “Favourite Colour” and “Hercules,” before settling into the more somber, but still demanding, “Simple Dude.”
Lead guitarist Josh Hook absolutely shined throughout the concert, shredding through each track with precision, passion and excitement. He regularly lowered and widened his stance while lost in a jam, fixating the room on his mystifying solos.
Josh Hook, the guitarist for Tokyo Police club, performs at DC9 in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2019 (Allison O’Reilly/For The Diamondback).
When the show was coming to an end, Monks told the crowd that they would perform two more songs, even though their setlist only had one more listed. They would have ended the performance with “Tessellate,” but they decided to add “Your English Is Good.”
Both of those songs are from their 2008 album Elephant Shell, but “Your English Is Good” was the perfect note to close out a powerful performance. The song was laden with powerful guitar solos and the audience was hyped to sing along with the “Oh, give us your vote” chant at the top of the track.
Tokyo Police Club may not be the most iconic band to come out of the 2000s indie rock movement, but their live performance shows are a musical force to be reckoned with, and they have no plans of changing who they are.
