The crowd was, for all intents and purposes, dead.
And, what could’ve been another example of The Virgins’ well-documented history of rowdy performances became more of a listening session, as the New York quartet belted out tunes from their self-titled debut album, out June 3rd.
Bearing a sound mixing the hanging parallel chords of The Strokes with the retro stylings of The Cars, The Virgins managed to get feet moving, but little more than that. The reticent post grad crowd watched, but didn’t react, causing this reviewer to wonder just who the real virgins here were.
The crowd nodded along to danceable hits “Rich Girls,” with its funky, infectious bassline, “One Week of Danger,” and “Radio Christiane,” all of which appeared on their 2007 EP, The Virgins.
Recently, the band has been riding a wave of heavy hype, as a number of their tunes have appeared in HBO’s Entourage, as well as the posh, Upper East Side teen television drama Gossip Girl (otherwise known as The O.C. East). Perhaps it was the venue’s 21+ door policy, or the fact that the gig occurred on a school night in the midst of college finals but, with the Page Six cache, coupled with an intimate, sold-out venue on their home turf, the lack of audience participation was doubly disappointing. Where were the screaming, hard-partying “rich girls?” that they speak of? Too ostentatious for the Lower East Side?
Nevertheless, The Virgins succeeded in delivering a solid musical performance despite the lack of reciprocal energy. Playing several unreleased songs, including a fun cover of INXS’ “Devil Inside,” The Virgins proved that their catchy sound survives well past their debut EP.
Lead singer Donald Cumming remained somewhat silent throughout the show - possibly intimidated by the lack of enthusiasm amongst the crowd - yet still delivered his Elvis Costello-esque vocals with precision and modesty, exhibiting a commanding stage presence far beyond his years. These four New Yorker hipsters, ranging from 21 to 28 in age, with their radio-friendly yet original sound, should have no problem attracting a more expansive (and excitable) legion of fans who wanna get it on with The Virgins.
--Dillon Stern [May 5, 2008]
