Few bands revive ’80s pop vibe as well as The Drums. Opening their show with “Money,” they immediately drew the audience into the reverberant, rhythm-heavy groove. The Drums’ energy was relentless, a deluge of ’80s teen angst that came in the freshest of forms even in its immensely nostalgic effect.
Much of this vitality could be attributed to the solidity of drummer Danny Lee Allen and bassist Myles Matheny, whose speed and stamina set his instrumentation among the most impressive of the band. Though The Drums held the audience’s interest throughout the body of their set, it was in the encore that fans really fell for them. The anthemic vocals of Jonathan Pierce in “Down by the Water” and “Saying Goodbye” had virtually everyone swaying, bouncing, and singing along.
If musicians can excite their listeners, they accomplish the task of entertainment, but to yield the power of uniting listeners into one impassioned outpouring of the heart—that is a great feat. The Drums will not fail you in their live performance, for this feat is their forte.