Show Review: Miniature Tigers @ Stubbs (8/3)

The evening began for me with a nice warm-up sweat over at the Mohawk, but I really enjoyed the Minitature Tigers latest album, Fortress, so I rushed over to Stubbs to make sure I caught their set.  Sorry, I had to miss the other bands, but it was a busy night in the ATX for the ATH.  Follow the jump for more.

They began with some of their tracks off of their recent release, and from the get-go you could tell that singer Charlie Brand has something to presence.  Perhaps it was some sort of hidden magnetism, or his remarkable voice, but I couldn’t really take my eyes off him as the band played through tracks like “Mansion of Misery” and “Rock n’ Roll Mountain Troll.”  Unfortunately, Charlie’s mates didn’t do him any favors upon the stage, as they all seemed eager to move about in place, although the drummer was injured, so no one knows exactly how the gent would have performed otherwise.  But, at least Charlie owned the stage.

After a few warm-up tracks, sweat drenching the crowd, Miniature Tigers threw in an oldie, namely the title-track from their first album, “Tell it to the Volcano.”  Old fans and new fans moved in unison, eager to enjoy the sweet melodies.  Then the band really hit their stride, though still Charlie remained the only one moving about.  We were treated to “Japanese Woman Living in my Closet, which has a bit of Mason Jennings-esque storytelling, and “Bullfighter Jacket.”  Brand’s voice is just too solid to dismiss; you know he’ll do well for himself, with or without a band.  Then came the moment, I waited for, as they unleashed “Gold Skull,” one of the best tracks of the year.  Charlie jumped into the crowd, asking for some crowd participation, dancing with guys and girls alike as synth blasts moved our feet.  This was the one brief moment where his vocals seemed a touch off, but who can blame the dancing machine?  They finished out their set, giving us some more old tracks, and providing us all with an enjoyable evening of really solid pop.  You can’t ask for a better dessert after getting the crazy vibes of Ariel Pink.