Show Review: Pomegranates @ Mohawk (11/20)

Decided to hit the Mohawk on a Saturday night that is closing out a busy week of music around town.  Austin bands Tiger Named Lovesick and Oh No! Oh My! opened for Cincinnati’s Pomegranates.  Read on to get a brief show review and peep some pics…

First up was A Tiger Named Lovesick.  Comprised of guitarist Thomas Reeh, bassist Alexis Ramirez and a laptop providing beats, the 2.1 came on stage to cover the early crowd with a darker sound tinged by influences of Joy Division and MBV.  A quick scan of their Myspace page, highlights an on-again/off-again affair with having a live drummer on stage.

Oh No! Oh My! has been on tour with Pomegranates for the last month.  There were all the elements of a homecoming show; friends and family milling about outside preshow, proud mothers announcing “That’s my son” as an unnamed photographer stepped on her foot while meandering through the crowd.  They were a far happier sound than the previous act.  Highlights for me included “You were Right” and “Walk in the Park”.  “Walking Into Me” also hit the right note.  The rest of the set was a bit too much of something I didn’t like. Too much pop…

Pomegranates came to the stage awash in green lighting and a smoke machine kicking off in the corner, the crowd thinned slightly by the departure of the previous band’s family reunion.  Thirty seconds into their set, a friend unfamiliar with the boys from Cincy commented how much better they are on their instruments than either opener.  The front three in the band take turns at keyboards, guitar and bass, trading vocals as well.  The set was a good mix of old and new.  “Create Your Own Reality” is the new album’s “Beachcomber”, both sounding fantastic, “50’s” filled the room with harmonies and falsettos spanning the stage.  “Skull Cakin’” was the high energy point where “Sleepover” was the best track on the night for me.  The crowd of course wanted “Everybody Come Outside” which made for a proper closing to the set.