Concert Review: French Kicks @ the Double Door

Let me first start off by saying that this will most likely be my last post for about three weeks because I'll be gone in Greece, trying to find a hairy Greek woman willing to rub olive oil upon my rippling torso. But that's neither here not there.

What I'm here to tell y'all about was the French Kicks show at the Double Door in Chicago. First off, the venue was great, and I highly recommend catching a show there, if you're so inclined. The Frightened Rabbits, who have been getting some blog love recently, opened for them and they were pretty solid. But I was really waiting for the Kicks, who I missed last time they came to the Picador. And, thankfully, they did not disappoint. Me being the pathetic old man that I am, I can't really recall what the first song was. But I do know that they followed it up with Swimming's first single "Abandon," and it sounded gorgeous live. Considering how the songs on the records can sound barely hinged at times, the band really showed they've honed their live chops over the years.

Singer Matthew Stinchcomb reminded me of maybe a sedated Mic Jagger...in a good way. A thick shaggy mop atop a thin body that slowly shimmied and shaked (I know the past tense is shook, but I like the way this sounds better) as he sang and played. He exuded lazy sexiness, like the kind of dude that will get smoking hot girls, but when he goes to mess around with them, he probably just lays there and lets them do all the work...but in a good way.

Also, like SSLYBY, the band was fond of alternating instruments and singing duties, with three of the four members switching up between lead vocals, bass, guitar, piano, and harmonies. Come to think of it, the harmonies were probably the best part of the performance. With how much double tracking goes on on a lot of albums nowadays, I'm always a little surprised when I go to a live show and hear the harmonies coming out full and strong. But the French Kicks brought em out and showed em off. All in all, the best twelve bucks I've spent in Chicago in a long time.