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Calling the Cults fourth Buffalo show in 34 months a "reunion" would be a bit of a stretch and somewhat weird, but periodically charting the San Diego via NYC band's growth and progress from their early shows at Soundlab (which I wasn't at) and Ninth Ward (my first Cults show) in 2011 through their Town Ballroom blowout 2 years ago has been immensely satisfying. I'm not sure what keeps bringing them back to Buffalo, or if there's a two way connection going on here, but Monday's show at the Tralf with Mood Rings and their first since the release of their sophomore album Static felt a litle belt special, and they didn't disappoint.
Mood Rings did not mess around with their enthusiastically received opening set of straight up 80's New Wave romantic jams. Featuring a Spectoresque Wall of Sound also favored by Cults' Brian Oblivion, the Atlanta band played a number of exquisitely lush and reverb drenched songs off their new album VPI Harmony, gathering power and mojo as their set progressed until their positively Goth tinged climax that indulged the darkness that lurked sweetly under the surface of the entire performance. My only regret of the night was that they sold out of their debut CD before I could hit up the merch table at the end of the night. For their Buffalo debut, Mood Rings were bold, captivating, and like many in the appreciative crowd, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing them again.
Starting with the fiercely uptempo "High Road" off of Static, this Cults show was absolutely potent as the band used the Tralf's excellent acoustics to their fullest. The Brian Oblivion/Cults Wall of Sound was in full effect with each instrument contributing to a sweetly all enveloping caress of sound that was especially nice in the ears thanks to the denser, beat heavy, and more guitar driven songs from Static. Favorites from their instant classic eponymous debut also seemed beefier than usual, but I could be wrong about that because Cults definitely rocked the Town Ballroom in 2012. And there can be no doubt that Madeline Follin is realer than real, a very human voice at the heart of Cults sonic storm to focus the heart and mind while vocally shredding jams like "You Know What I Mean" and "Rave On" and a cover of The Motels' "Total Control."
By the time they finished off the night with heavy duty run-throughs of classics "Go Outside" and "Oh My God," it was clear that Cults had fully delivered the goods once again. What fully sold me on Cults was their wonderful June 2011 show in that acoustically wonderful brick basement at the Ninth Ward, a magical night that was very much on my mind as I and the (decent) crowd grooved to a band clearly growing in power and sonic gorgeousness, having successfully vanquished the sophomore slump. When Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin bring Cults back for fifth WNY show, I will be there.
~ Video courtesy of Erica Morano
I guess the real question is not when they will play next. It's where they will play
Cults bass player has WNY connections~his mother is a WNY native (born and raised in Batavia) and several relatives are current residents of Buffalo. So in some ways Buffalo is a family reunion kind of gig for them.