Indie rock trio Smith Westerns received a warm welcome at Turner Hall Saturday night.
Accompanied by two guest performers, the band played songs from their most recent album, Dye It Blonde, to deafening fan-girl screams after openers Bleached and Porcelain Raft left the stage.
For reference, the Omori brothers Cullen and Cameron and guitarist Max Kakacek are factually “very attractive.” Many feeble-hearted fans attended to the band’s performance like fans of Hanson years prior.
Lead singer Cullen managed to engage the crowd while still maintaining his effortless rock star-cool image however much of a challenge it was considering there is no way the poor kid can see through all of the hair covering his face. At 22 years old, Omori plays with a style that oozes professionalism beyond his years and perhaps conceit, and demonstrated it onstage.
Kakacek, who also sings back-up vocals, was spot-on throughout the entire set and was a pretty impressive player. His glam-rock lead in the band’s hit song “Weekend” was unforgettable and impossible not to dance to.
While the band did a great job instrumentally, Cullen’s vocals were somewhat lost in the mix. He told the audience that his voice was shot, and that became apparent as his muddled words sounded more like background noise as the show went on. When he addressed the crowd, the only thing really discernable was that he liked Milwaukee and played a house show here once and even spoke something about The Matrix. All of which were met with high-pitched squeals and shrieks of “Oh my God, Cullen!”
That aside, Smith Westerns’ retro sound translated well in Turner Hall’s Ballroom and they put on one hell of a show. Rumors about some of the band mates’ arrogant attitudes didn’t seem to be true, as each member appeared to genuinely enjoy playing and entertaining. Having as much hype surrounding them as they do, they were appreciative of the audience when many bands in the same position might methodically play a set and leave.
After an encore song, the band left the stage in style, knocking over amps and shouting their thanks. Their heart-breaking good looks and irresistibly catchy music left many weak in the knees and wishing the show was longer. There’s always next time, right?
