Last night, Shannon and I went to Stubb’s to see Ratatat perform. We arrived around 8:30pm, and a long line for the sold-out show had already formed, wrapping around the block. From the looks of the crowd, there were going to be a lot of “hipsters” on this Monday night. Shannon fit right in, as she had funkily braided a pony tail and sported tennis shoes with her skinny jeans.
The line actually moved quite quickly, and we were inside Stubb’s just as the opening act was finishing. “Right on time,” we exclaimed to ourselves. But there were some technical difficulties in getting the projection screens and 
special lights hooked up, so we waited for about 45 minutes before Ratatat actually came on stage. By this point, it was already 9:15 pm, and we were both getting a bit weary.
Ratatat’s a New York City duo consisting of guitarist Mike Stroud and bassist/synthesizer Evan Mast. Together, they create funky instrumental tracks, and their music’s devoid of any lyrics (except at
the beginning and end of some tracks, but even then, it’s not much). We knew this coming in, but there’s something about being at a large venue like Stubb’s that almost demands lyrics in order to get into the show. For pure instrumental shows, I prefer a more intimate venue, such as Flamingo Cantina, where you can often enjoy one of my favorites, Grimy Styles, rock out.
Tracks like the recognizable “Wildcat” got us moving, but we just didn’t feel the same energetic vibe as we’d felt at other Stubb’s shows, such as Vampire Weekend and Old 97’s. The overly “cool” hipster crowd didn’t help matters, as you could almost feel their aloofness suffocating the fun out of the concert. I know that sounds harsh, but I don’t know how else to describe it.
By 10 pm, we were tired from the workday and decided to head out, even though I’m sure there was another half hour of music left. The special lighting effects weren’t anything out of the ordinary (nothing like Ghostland Observatory), as Ratatat just didn’t have any “wow” factor on this night. Plus, since we have tickets to Michael Franti on Wednesday, we just didn’t see the point of wasting any further energy on what was turning out to be a mediocre live show.
I have to politely disagree. I met up with 2 guys before the show who were looking for 2 fun girls to dance with in exchange for 2 free tickets. I couldn’t find another girl to come with me even though I ruled out the creepiness factor, so the guys ended up giving me 1 ticket and I danced with both of them. I ended up dancing all night, drinking too much to drive home, getting mashed, and staying up all night at their place, which was right around the corner. Ratattattytat was ratical. Would do it all again in a heartbeat if Rattatatuey come to Austin again and those 2 guys offerred the same kind of deal. Sorry you didn’t have the same kind of experience, but I do love Grimy Styles, so we’d probably get along anyways
Sounds wild and fun! Jealous!
I stood behind y’all at this concert. Don’t blame Ratatat because they can’t get every Michael Franti lover to actually shift their balance from foot to foot at least once during the whole concert. You live in Austin, hipsters are as prevalent here as pigeons or Mexican Free-Tailed Bats. Embrace them.
Haha! You’re right, and I don’t blame Ratatat. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Pingback: Michael Transcends his Audience into a Place of Music, Peace, and Harmony « In Between