Sometimes a little exposure can go a long way when it comes to launching a band’s career. Case and point: The Bravery.
The last time The Bravery performed in Seattle they were on the
big stage at KeyArena opening for Green Day. Last week the band
played to a sold-out crowd at Showbox at the Market. Selling out
the Showbox is something the New York band would’ve eventually done
without the exposure because their brand of new wave rock is
contagious and fun, but I’m sure sharing the stage with Billie Joe,
Tre and Mike helped speed things up a bit.
Regardless of how they got to a rightly deserved headlining gig at
the Showbox, The Bravery sounded like a well-oiled, road-tested
machine and the all-ages crowd ate up every second of the band’s
75-minute set. Singer Sam Endicot was charismatic and energetic and
the rest of the band matched his efforts which brought needed
liveliness to some of the band’s tracks that sound a little dull on
record. Adding to the liveliness was a white curtain backdrop that
displayed images from a projector that was in the back of the room,
but really it was the music that sold me on the band. The Bravery
had the crowd (which didn’t need to be sold on the band’s merits
btw) dancing and singing along to every word of “Public Service
Announcement,” “Believe” and just about every other song of the
set. In fact, during “An Honest Mistake” the spring-supported floor
of The Showbox was moving thanks to the throng of dance-crazed
kids.
The Bravery also performed a few of songs from its upcoming album Stir The Blood (in stores Dec. 1) including the current single “Slow Poison” and the unfortunately named “Hatefuck.” The latter carries an danceable groove, much like most of The Bravery’s catalog, and was a pleasant part of the group’s set despite the song’s not-so-friendly name. If the three new songs I heard are any indication of what Stir The Blood sounds like the band might have a hit record on its hands which means you might be seeing The Bravery at a bigger venue the next time they pass through town.