live: dum dum girls

(Photo by iamlukeryan)

On Friday at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, fans were participating in the time-honored tradition of dress-up as moral support: the smoking area and both bars were packed with multi-colored tights and taut leather jackets, black lace dresses, high heels and blood-red lipstick. The Dum Dum Girls are notorious for sporting all of those at their live shows, and it’s considerably sultry attire in any situation. But don’t be fooled: style is not the Girls’ only forté.

Friday’s sold-out show was loaded with indie all-stars. Dirty Beaches opened (their first album is out on Dum Dum frontwoman Kirsten “Dee Dee” Gundred’s Zoo Music label), as did the gothy-in-the-best-way Brooklyn sextet MINKS, then former Dum Dum drummer Frankie Rose breezed through an invigorating set of guitar-pop with her band, the Outs. The main room and balcony were abuzz when the Dum Dum Girls took the stage near midnight. “This is the biggest show we’ve ever played,” cooed Dee Dee, as the group launched into a haunting cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire.”

The hour-long set was comprised of material from the Dum Dum Girls new EP He Gets Me High, their 2010 Sub-Pop debut I Will Be , various 7”s and a pair of brand new tracks (One of which, “Teardrops,” is available here). Despite some early guitar difficulties, the Dum Dum Girls played as beautifully and harmoniously live as they do on record, powering through the sugary and jangly “Jail La La,” “Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout” and “It Only Takes One Night” while the crowd bopped along. The Girls’ new drummer Sandy was most engaging on the group’s fastest numbers — among them, “He Gets Me High” and “I Will Be” — contributing a welcome level of vitality and head-banging.

But the night’s most mesmerizing moment was their gut-wrenching rendition of “Take Care of My Baby.” Gone were the cat-eyed squints and confident head wags; instead, Dee Dee stood wide-eyed and vulnerable. The song served as a showcase for the group’s secret strength: Dee Dee’s paramount singing voice. It’s been said that if the Jesus and Mary Chain were a ‘60s girl group, they would sound like the Dum Dum Girls, but what continues to distinguish them from both their contemporaries and influences is Dee Dee’s startling development as a vocalist.

The Dum Dum Girls ended their set much like they started, with a ceremonial shot of whiskey and a dynamic cover of one of their favorite songs. This time it was a younger and lustier version of the Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” The crowd sang along fervently, clearly enthused by another classic revamped.