If you fancy yourself any type of alt-rock lover at all, you really owe it to yourself to attend the Naked and Famous concert. Is there really anything more disappointing than missing out on the early days of an artist and then watching as they zoom to the big time? Ask anyone who passed on the early concerts of U2 and Nirvana if they have regrets. The Naked and Famous isn’t in the major leagues yet, but with its singles hitting the alt radio charts after its album hit No. 1 in the band’s New Zealand homeland, it’s pretty clear the Naked and Famous is a rising star.
“It is all very, very exciting,” said band co-founder Alisa Xayalith, sounding refreshingly unpretentious for an up-and-coming rock star after a recent U.S. trip. “We’ve been to the U.S. two or three times, but this has been quite fun.”
| Onstage |
| The Naked and Famous |
| Date: 8 p.m. Friday |
| Venue: 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW Washington |
| Info: Sold out at press time; 9:30.com; 800-955-5566 |
One freaky part, though, was adjusting to some American ways, such as when musicians thrust fliers for upcoming gigs at passersby as they walk on Sunset Boulevard, in Los Angeles. Although such experience can be unnerving for visitors, Xayalith seemed to try her best to get into the spirit of the casual promotions.
The Naked and Famous started in a somewhat casual way, too, when Xayalith joined musically with composer Thom Powers. The duo released two well-received EPs before adding band members as a way to allow them to tour.
Suddenly, the band took off like a bottle rocket, and last year the Naked and Famous released its debut album, “Passive Me, Aggressive You.” The post-punk electronic sound is something akin to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs mixed with Nine Inch Nails. Although the bandmates are all fans of Nine Inch Nails — Xayalith said in a way they’ve modeled their professional lives on the band — the musicians have their own signature sound that is very difficult to classify through comparisons to other bands.
That, of course, is the magic that will likely make the Naked and Famous rise to the top
“It’s so exciting,” she said. “Even when our album had been released [in the United States], we had lots of fans here that were quite loyal already. After the shows we played, I had so many fans come up to us afterward and say they loved us and loved our music. I almost cried.”
