The Night Terrors Of 1927 Delight Seattle

Seattle – The indie electro-pop rockers of The Night Terrors of 1927, alongside headliners Magic Man, played to a sold-out crowd at The Crocodile Café, where the all-ages audience danced and sang along all night.

The Night Terrors of 1927, a new band from Los Angeles, is a project fronted by Jarrod Gorbel, formerly of The Honorary Title, and Blake Sennett, formerly of Rilo Kiley. After releasing their Guilty Pleas EP earlier in 2014, the Night Terrors, who have also toured with The Colourist and Fitz & the Tantrums, are currently working on their full-length album due later this year. At the Crocodile, the group performed songs off their EP, as well as new tracks from their upcoming record.

Taking to the stage with an electronic jumble of voices, the Night Terrors kicked off their darkly catchy synth-pop set with “Always Be One.” Next was “Fall Into You,” an eerie yet sexy track off Guilty Pleas. The infectious “Running in Place” had the crowd going wild, jumping up and down with the Night Terrors’ great energy. A woman’s voice layered on top of Gorbel’s rich, dulcet growl during the track, giving great dimension to the band’s sound.

“Young and Vicious” began like a ballad before building into a heartfelt pop-rock track filled with interesting, unexpected synth sounds and a strong guitar. “When we were young and vicious/ those songs we sung, they took their toll,” Gorbel belted. “Dust And Bones,” the first track off Guilty Pleas, was filled with anthemic “oh’s,” pulsating synth, and a full chorus, to which many audience members sang along.

“We’re going to mellow this out,” said Gorbel, as all band members but he and Sennett left the stage. They then performed “Shine,” a beautiful, simple number rounded out by Gorbel’s deep timbre. “Bury This Love” saw the other Night Terrors join them back on stage, as Sennett played a shiny, elegant riff intro while the rest of the band jammed along. Gorbel’s drawled out vocals filled the venue, harmonizing with the female counterpart taking the high octave on the chorus. Closing the Night Terrors’ set was “Always Take You Back,” which opened with fuzzy “aahs” and rolling drums before Gorbel’s powerful singing erupted. It was a strong ending to their performance, and certainly piqued interest and excitement for the upcoming album.

Headlining the night was Magic Man, out of Boston. Formed in 2010, the group features Alex Caplow on vocals, Sam Vanderhoop Lee on guitar, Justine Bowe on keys, Gabe Goodman on bass, and Joey Sulkowski on drums. This year they released their debut album, Before the Waves, and it is a great summer record.

Magic Man’s set at The Crocodile was filled with hints of influences such as Explosions in the Sky, The Killers, and Walk the Moon (with whom they’ve toured). Opening with “Too Much,” Magic Man took the stage with energy that even beat the crowd’s enthusiasm. Pounding drums, chiming keys, and Caplow’s intense showmanship kicked off a great performance.

Dark, heavy synth, delicate harmonies, and catchy choruses filled both “Every Day” and “Apollo,” while on “Catherine,” the audience jumped up and down while singing along. The intro to “Waves” had a very (and unexpected) LCD Soundsystem flair, and the great beats and synth made it a favorite of the night. Magic Man closed with “Paris,” successfully turning The Crocodile into an electro-pop dance hall for the evening.

The night’s opener was Prides, a pretty new trio from Glasgow, whose synth-pop sound was a good match for the two other bands. One of the highlights of their show was a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time,” a very apropos song for the night’s heavy influence of 80’s pop.

Top Photo By Clarissa Mitchell 2nd Photo By Caitlin Peterkin

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Caitlin Peterkin

Caitlin Peterkin is a Seattle transplant fresh from the Midwest. She owes her passion for music to her parents, who filled the house with artists from The Beatles to The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel to Carly Simon, and Jackson Browne to Michael Jackson. One of her favorite memories includes being presented with her mom’s original vinyl copy of Sgt. Pepper when she got her first record player.

With degrees in journalism and music, Caitlin’s written for Paste Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and MajoringinMusic.com. She loves cheese, laughing at GIFs of corgis, road trip sing-alongs, and connecting with people over good beer and good music.