MUSIC REVIEW: MATES OF STATE - LIVE AT THE BLUEBIRD THEATER

The Indie-Pop Duo Make Friends with Everyone in a Dance Driven Live Show

By: Jess Gronewold

November 15, 2011

(November 13, 2011 in Denver, Colorado) Mates of State has a knack for making a rock show both adorable and the best dance party you have ever been to. After 14 years of being a band, seven full-length albums, three EPs, two daughters, and countless tours, this husband-and-wife duo consistently keep their shows fresh and filled with energy. The chemistry between Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel is subtle yet somehow blaringly obvious. Glances stolen between verses and conversations happening without a single word make it easy to feel a part of the connection while you are watching.

From the 2006 album, Bring It Back, Mates of State kicked up the pop/rock dance party with the song “For the Actor.” Gardner and Hammel also brought a couple of extras into the mix for the tour this time, including a guitar player and a very enthusiastic trumpet/tambourine player. The fun they were all having on stage passed easily to the audience, who shook their butts like it was their job. The beat of this track makes it impossible to stand still. The dueling vocals surged through the crowd, pushing them further into frenzy.

They moved on into another upbeat pop tune called “Sway” from their latest album Mountaintops. This song gave off a strong '80s vibe through synth sounds and a slightly lighter drum beat. It made you want your own keytar to sway with. The vocal harmonies were sweet and charming. You just forgot your cares and lost yourself in pop music.

Mates of State truly showcased their musicianship and sense of humor through the track “Ha Ha” from the album Team Boo. Both synthesizer and drum parts were intricate and almost battling each other. They changed speeds and rhythms, and sometimes it seemed they changed songs, but it all worked. They matched their laughing bits in the song with a decreasing scale from the trumpet player, and then broke into their signature separate but working vocal parts. It was complex and unique, and a great deal of fun to watch.

“Like U Crazy” showcased the vocal range of both Gardner and Hammel, with each hitting notes higher than the last. This song slowed the set down a bit, but no one in the audience minded as they sang along loudly. They move swiftly from quiet and demure to loud and boisterous.

They ended the first part of their set with a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End.” A more upbeat version of this song began with rapid handclaps and slowing down just slightly for the first verse, then they picked up the pace again and made this song more uplifting than you would have thought it could be, listening to the original.

See Mates of State live. They will charm and revive you. You will find yourself hanging on their every note. In fact, the crowd was so taken with Mates of State that, after the applause died down, the venue was nearly silent, everyone simply waiting for the next burst of energy and joy. This band will renew your love for life and your belief in love. You will move your feet in spite of yourself and thank them for it when it's over. Let yourself go and enjoy life outside of your own head, if even just for a little while.

Standout Tracks: “For the Actor,” “Like U Crazy,” “Ha Ha,” “True Love Will Find You in the End,” “Sway”

For Fans Of: The Shins, The Postal Service, Feist, Matt & Kim