Miniature Tigers, Breakup Shoes, Pollen, et Gospel Claws

Miniature Tigers are quite likely the most "authentic" band that I have seen live. Let me explain. When I went to see their concert, needless to say I was so glad to find a band that was so perfect and clever I just wanted to shout it from the rooftops. The first amazing thing about these boys is that their positive energy attracts the best sort of people. Once ushered through the doors of the relatively small concert hall, I was surrounded by a crowd of upbeat, quirky 20-somethings. Which, coincidentally is exactly the same type of people in the band. The Tigers are composed of: -Rick Schaier on keyboard and background vocals, whose smooth harmonies contrast with the funky little dances he does while grooving on his keyboard. -Algernon Quaishe, who is quite possibly the slickest guitar player I have ever encountered. -Brandon Lee on bass, who just can't seem to help playing his instrument vertically, and of course grooving along to the vocals of -Charlie Brand, the hopelessly endearing lead singer, who somehow manages to put a smile on the faces of everyone in the crowd while pouring out lyrics that are gorgeously vulnerable (Tell me how you feel about me/Do you like or "like like" me?), sometimes unbearably sad (From a dark, dark daydream/Nothing can wake me from myself), but mostly enthusiastic and incredibly clever (Lately I feel like a blown-out birthday candle/One look in the mirror and I know the party's over.) Brand's high school experience was rough. He had put on a lot of extra weight and had a generally low self-image. Once he learned the guitar and was able to create his own tunes, he soon learned how to create the kind of catchy melodies that you hear him sing today. It was through his music that he began to feel better about himself both physically and mentally.
This was clear when they came out onstage. The majority of the band wore colorful striped shirts (I'm still wondering whether that was done on purpose). The venue was the smallest I've ever been in, and though there was a small crowd of people bouncing around and generally having a good time, it was far from packed. However, when the band came out, Brand looked amazed. "Shit," he said, "So many of you. Wow!" He began the show with The Wolf, and the crowd all danced and sang along. Then he spoke for a bit about how glad he was that we could all come out. He also described getting food poisoning the day before, after which he turned and looked at Quaishe saying, "Too much information, right?" They debuted newly-released singles from their new album, Cruel Runnings, but also sang some old ones. During once song, Brand dangled his feet over the stage. During Oblivious, he actually walked into the crowd and danced while he sang. Clearly that old stage fright that he has spoken about in interviews was all gone. Either that or he was really good at hiding it. Earlier there had been a small earthquake while one of their opening acts was playing. During a break in one of the songs, Brand asked, "Did you all feel that earthquake earlier? That was insane." They were conversational. They were casual. They were energetic. It was like we were all old friends. Song after song went on. Brand danced about the stage. During Bullfighter Jacket he brought out his guitar and played along with Quaishe. He would frequently go over and sing into Schaier's microphone. They were clearly very comfortable. After playing their "final" song, they left the stage with excessive expressions of gratitude. The audience, on a natural high from the bubblegum-indie-pop-goodness of their music chanted "one more! one more!" "Shit," said Charlie, "Thank you!!!" They played two. First it was Dark Tower, a thinly veiled allusion to Brand's past depression. Then, in order to end on a lighter note, they played their most popular song, Cannibal Queen. Tired and sweaty but mostly happy, Brand sang, "This is not a test or an SOS/I'm no longer on a quest to get girls undressed." Upon finishing, he beamed and proclaimed that he wanted to hug every single one of us and to stop by the lobby to pick up a t-shirt and say "hi", though apologetically he said that they only had a few to sell (it really was clear that they were expecting far fewer people.) So if you're looking for clever lyrics, catchy melodies, and general feel-good music, I would wholeheartedly suggest you look into going to see Miniature Tigers in concert. But buy your tickets soon, because this band is going to become big. Really, really fast.