Hinds @ U Street Music Hall - 5/11/2018
The banner hung up on stage said it all: “Hi, we’re Hinds, and we came here to rock.” Hailing from Madrid, the garage rock quartet enlisted producer Gordon Raphael (known for producing the first and second Strokes albums) for their sophomore album I Don’t Run. With that production muscle behind them, the quartet felt more empowered to no longer write about being ‘one of the guys’ with songs like “Tester” confronting cheating boyfriends, and “Linda” mourning the loss of true love in a relationship. Thankfully, what didn't change was their bubbly and raucous garage rock sound.
Hinds set the tone for the Friday night show by coming out on stage dancing and declaring themselves the pregame for all those planning to spend the rest of the night out on the town. Though their sound brims with nostalgia for 90s-era garage rock and power chords, they can rile up a crowd better than a pregame throwback playlist ever could.
Hinds guitarist Ana Perrote at U Street Music Hall (photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio)
Guitarist Carlotta Cosi was exceptionally buoyant on stage, headbanging and generally working up a considerable sweat on lead guitar. Though it wasn't a competition between the two, Ana Perrote gave Cosi a run for her money - every high kick and jump received huge cheers. Their vocal delivery, a defining feature of the band, will remain as divisive as ever, but it makes them stand out amongst their indie rock peers. But they’re not here to win The Voice - their focus is on pure emotion and energy rather than technical proficiency is well-reciprocated by the fans.
The encore became the boisterous highlight of the night with a performance of “New For You” and “San Diego.” ending the show on a palpable high leaving countless people in the front row drenched in sweat. But it was only 9:30 PM on a Friday night. By the band’s standards, they succeeded in getting people pumped up to conquer the rest of the night. But a drink or two to cool down first wouldn’t have been the worst idea in the world.
I Don’t Run is available now through Mom + Pop Music.
Opening for Hinds was Made Violent, a band from Buffalo that played with the ferocity of a Los Angeles skate-punk trio and the crazed rock energy of Cage the Elephant. Their latest release is the EP Squeeze through Trash Records.
