The Dandy Warhols
The dream of the 90s’ was alive at The Dandy Warhols show at The Belly Up Tavern on Thursday December 15.
It was one of those kinda sorta rainy nights in San Diego–the nights that happen a total of like, five times a year. Telegram from London opened. The foursome looked and sounded like a group from the 70s–the tasteful, admirable part of the 70s.
Runner up to them in the outfit world, and on stage after them, was The Dandy Warhols. The eclectic indie rockers from Portland have stood the test of time (although they added “The” to their name at some point). With well known hits like “Bohemian Like You” and lesser known treasures like “Sleep,” the band has remained an indie rock household name for more than 15 years.
The songs on The Dandy Warhols’ setlist showcased their expansive musical palette–each song almost sounded as if it were written and performed by different bands. Their ever-changing sound is atypical of Pacific Northwest bands. This might explain why my 24-year-old self is able to attend the concert my 15-year-old self was dying to see.
Singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor made time to engage the crowd, achieving communication before their biggest hits and prepping crowd for a song that might happen to be lesser known. The crowd ranged from age 21 (fact) to about 57 (complete guess), nearly proving the broad spectrum of listeners The Dandy Warhols and Telegram attract.
The Dandy Warhols closed with the holiday classic “Little Drummer Boy.” This struck me as somewhat of a stab at Christmas cheer, but mostly just as a way to say: “Happy Holidays to you and yours.” Some people standing near me in the crowd saw it as tacky, but I enjoyed this Christmas cover.
TLDR: The Dandy Warhols know how to pick an opener, they know how to engage their crowd, and they’re not afraid to play Christmas songs!