I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: November 27, 2021] The Districts

I was supposed to see The Districts play at Union Transfer on March 12.  COVID-19 had just found its way into New Jersey and Pennsylvania and I was being very cautious so I decided to skip the show.  It was a safe decision, but one that I now regret as it would have been a pretty great final show of the year.  Shows pretty much completely stopped after that.

I was then supposed to see the Districts three times in 2021 (a lot of that was coincidence).  The opened for Modest Mouse (I had no idea they were going to), then they announced a show in Asbury Park and then, at the end of the year they were supposed to open for Dr. Dog (they bailed on that show, as did I, even though the show went on).

After seeing them open for Modest Mouse, I wanted to see them headline, because they tend to go a bit more nuts when they are in charge.

I was happy to see them in such a small place, but I hadn’t really thought this show through.  Asbury Park, on Thanksgiving weekend.  Holy crap, the place was full of reunited and drunk college students.  Which made for a more festive atmosphere but also meant that security almost had to pull somebody out and that everyone was singing along (badly) at the top of their lungs.  And of course drunk people were pushing forward throughout the show.

The band seemed to be in a really good mood when they came out and they rocked several classic songs: “4th and Roebling,” “Salt” and ‘If Before I Wake” (the crowd loves singing the “I’m just a narcissist” line)  Then they moved on to You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere for “Hey Jo,” and the moody “My Only Ghost.”

After showing off a song from their soon to be released album, they played the catchy “Point” and then the band left for Rob to play two solo songs.  One was old, “Lyla,” the other brand new.  He told us about the inspiration for the song “I Want to Feel It All.”  He and his girlfriend went to the Pacific Northwest to get away from everyone during the pandemic and they met an old guy staying in the place next to them.  They did lots of mind expanding drugs and Rob was sure he could feel it all.

The band came back out and so do the crowd.   People pushed and shoved and made the last bit of the show pretty annoying.  The band played through a couple of new songs and then returned to Anywhere for the trippy “Dancer” and the wild “Sidecar.”

They left for an encore break and I noticed that all this time I could have moved about ten feet to the left and been in a pretty open spot and yet still be pretty close to the stage–everyone was crowded in the center.

So I backed out and moved to the side and had a wonderfully unobstructed view of the encore.  They opened with one more new song.  Then they made my night by ripping through an excellent version of “Cheap Regrets.”  They ended the night with “Funeral Beds” and the crowd went berserk.  As soon as those opening “ooh ooh ooh ooh” vocals came out the crowd was in motion–and it was fun to watch them when I wasn’t in the middle of it.

I was excited to see them again with Dr. Dog, but that wouldn’t happen.  I did get tickets for their upcoming headlining tour in Philly–a hometown show is always fun.  So we’ll see if I see them again.

[≅] Great American Painting (2021)
[¥] You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere (2020)
♦ Nighttime Girls (single) (2018)
[¶] Popular Manipulations (2017)
§ from A Flourish and a Spoil (2015)
€ from The Districts EP (2014)
∇ from Telephone (2012)