Tokyo Police Club

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Written by Kelly Glueck Monday, 14 February 2011 17:02

Monks’ refined, almost overly-poppy Tyson Ritter vocals became a more rigid, folky Colin Meloy. His slightly raw sound made for a pleasant twist to his typically bubbly delivery.

Photos: Kelly Glueck

The Firebird, St. Louis

When the name Tokyo Police Club is mentioned, some may imagine masses of people, high energy and flashing lights. In this case, that would be a fair assumption.

Tuesday night at the Firebird, the opener, indie-pop Springfield, Mo. natives Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, warmed up the stage for synth-happy Canadian headliners Tokyo Police Club.

Celebrating the two bands' last show together on this three-week tour, Tokyo Police Club’s guitarist Josh Hook and drummer Greg Alsop grabbed some tambourines and joined Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin for the final song of their set.

After a quick equipment swap, the endearing Tokyo Police Club hit the stage. Sounding slightly under the weather, lead singer and bassist Dave Monks announced that he was sick. However, it did not take long for the crowd’s contagious energy to inspire dueling guitar battles between Monks and band mate Hook.

Most likely due to his illness, Monks’ refined, almost overly-poppy Tyson Ritter vocals became a more rigid, folky Colin Meloy. His slightly raw sound made for a pleasant twist to his typically bubbly delivery. Without missing a beat, the rest of the band got the most out of their instruments, attempting to make up for Monks’ weaker than usual stage presence.

Tokyo Police Club kept on trucking and the crowd’s energy was soaring. The combination of the Firebird’s bold neon lights with the band’s intricately laced, speedy guitar riffs and head-bobbing synthesizer made for an unwavering party atmosphere. The once frozen audience became a sea of hot, sweaty bodies as they danced, clapped and sang along to the catchy, emo-pop lyrics of fan favorites like “Citizens of Tomorrow,” “Bambi,” and “Breakneck Speed.” The band also previewed a new track titled “Top 5.” The song featured slightly more vocal inflection, but otherwise was reminiscent of their song “In a Cave.”

Returning the favor, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin joined Tokyo Police Club for another tambourine jubilee. The two bands raged on through their last song together on tour to Tokyo Police Club’s encore hit “Cheer It On.”

Similar to their notoriously short songs, TPK's set lasted just under an hour an a half. This left fans lingering and cheering for a second encore that Monks just did not seem to have in him. All in all, the packed venue was cleared by 11:30 p.m.

Fans did not seem fazed by the short set, though, and nearly everyone left the Firebird smiling and anxious to cool off. They braved the below-freezing weather, steam rolling off their sweaty t-shirts as they danced back to their cars. | Kelly Glueck