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Written by Rebecca Reardon Tuesday, 17 June 2008 02:33

She Wants Revenge delivered the perfect blend of Depeche Mode synth with Bauhaus goth rock, and finally, the fans responded.

 

 

 

 

Featuring She Wants Revenge, Be Your Own Pet, The Virginsand Switches

The Pageant, St. Louis, MO

As an avid fan of Nylon, the unrivaled monthly source of pop culture and fashion, I couldn't wait to check out Editor-In-Chief Martin Scott Jarrett's first music tour. The bill seemed a bit eclectic. But then again, so is Nylon. After a spicy dinner at Thai Country Café, I made my way east on Delmar Boulevard to The Pageant.

First up was the British quartet Switches. I got there just in time to catch their final song, "Lay Down The Law." Seeing as this was a Nylon-sponsored affair, I decided to get a closer look at what lead singer Matt Bishop was wearing. But his graphic T-shirt and Union Jack belt weren't nearly interesting as the getups on the girls down front. A petite brunette sported high-waisted shorts with a blouse, while her enthusiastic friend rocked a plaid shirt with red gym shorts and tights.

Next The Virgins took the stage, with a sound reminiscent of fellow New Yorkers The Strokes. Lead singer Donald Cumming looked like he was ready for a photo shoot in rolled jeans, dangling black suspenders and a short sleeved button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It was a decent set, but the crowd wasn't really into it. In fact, the word "crowd" is a bit of an overstatement. The 33,000-square-foot venue seemed a tad cavernous for The Virgins. I suspect they could have packed The Duck Room, a much cozier venue located just down the street in the basement of Blueberry Hill. The band made a lame joke about Charles Lindbergh's baby being the true Spirit of St. Louis, which could explain the lackluster response to their last song.

Nashville darlings Be Your Own Pet would have been better-suited to The Duck Room as well, with their scissor kicks and in-your-face punk rock attitude. Twenty year-old lead singer Jemina Pearl guzzled water between songs, and she needed it. Wearing a Joan Jett "Bad Reputation" concert tee and super-short shorts with gym socks and red low-tops, Pearl threw herself around the stage, shaking her short blonde hair and spastically popping her leg to the beat. "Do you like to watch rock and roll?" Pearl sarcastically chided the audience. "I have the utmost respect for that." The band attacked each song with straight-up punk enthusiasm, from "Food Fight"to the controversial "Becky." At the end of the set, the lanky red-shorted girl I'd noticed earlier climbed onstage and jumped on the back of shaggy-headed bassist Nathan Vasquez. Then she grabbed a microphone and sang along with Pearl. But the lead singer didn't acknowledge her, which was a shame, really. Unlike the rest of the crowd, at least this girl was into it.

Finally, it was time for the darkly danceable She Wants Revenge. Unlike Pearl, lead singer Justin Warfield was happy to play in what he referred to as "St. Louis proper," as opposed to Pop's in Sauget, Illinois. Clad in basic black, the darkwave band played hits from their eponymous debut album She Wants Revenge and follow-up Perfect Kiss, as well as a few new songs, including "Sleep," a sad, haunting cut from their EP Save Your Soul. She Wants Revenge delivered the perfect blend of Depeche Mode synth with Bauhaus goth rock, and finally, the fans responded. Warfield closed the set with the band's dance hit about school-age obsession "Tear You Apart." My friend commented that they sounded an awful lot like Joy Division, and he was right. But hey, that's probably why I like them so much.

Kudos to Nylon for putting together such a diverse evening of music. I can't wait to see and hear who they sponsor next year. | Rebecca Reardon