The Kooks’ secret MySpace show took place last night at Backspace, with kids lining up around the block hours beforehand. By the time I got there, though, all 250 wristbands had been issued and there were only a few stragglers on the sidewalk outside. I peered through the window at openers the Dutchess & the Duke, who were playing to a crowd of eager teenagers pressed right up against the stage. I wandered in (no wristband for me; I am a big shot journalist, don’t you know) and took my place at the back as the Kooks hit the stage, to screams and delight. These guys are really popular! Are they on the radio? (I don’t really listen to the radio.)

It was an acoustic set, with frontman Luke Pritchard and his oddly Hasidic haircut strumming an acoustic song while the drummer thwacked a snare and bass set up. The young Kooks fans were thrilled, mere inches away from their idols. I’m hard-pressed to tell you about the musical merits of the show; not being familiar with the songs, I was not the target audience. I should say, though, that Backspace handled the event expertly. While the stage was thronged by teenagers, they did not overfill the venue, and there was plenty of room for some kids to dance in the back, as well as a sectioned-off “beer garden” for parents, and, well, me.
Sybris

What I can tell you about is the Sybris show that took place next door at the Someday Lounge. These guys fuckin’ rock. That’s all there is to it. They didn’t get much of a crowd, sadly (there were, like, fourteen other big shows in town last night) but they killed it with their spastic, dirty, fun, funny post-alt indie guitar rock. Angela Mullenhour strummed her guitar without a pick while getting all kinds of worked up on the vocals. Screaming, howling, moaning, and—on occasion—singing. The band seemed road-weary but it good spirits despite the meager attendance.

Members of the Kooks moseyed into the Someday Lounge for a private post-show drink. They came from backstage to avoid their fans on the street, but the teenagers quickly spied them through the windows and congregated around. None of them were permitted to enter the 21+ Someday Lounge. It was a curious sight to see the mass of kids outside looking into the sparse adult crowd inside, with few people paying attention to the awesome band onstage. After awhile those Kooky rockstars went out to say hi to their fans and take pictures and sign posters. Sybris, meanwhile, finished their set with an unfussy frenzy and left their small audience wanting more.