Phases & Stages

The Raveonettes, Autolux, the Peels

The Parish, May 17

It's always hard to tell who came to see a band because they like them, and who came because Spin or Rolling Stone has a boner for them. Such was the case of Tuesday night at the Parish. After being sufficiently roused by the denim rock of the Peels, L.A. trio Autolux delivered us back to the Nevermind era with VU for the sonic youth, courtesy of debut Future Perfect. Drummer Carla Azar beat her kit like she was putting out a fire, lost in some sort of trance, while bassist Eugene Goreshter whispered into his microphone like there was a sleeping baby in the room. Their finale, a five-minute-plus freak-out, was the perfect antidote to their big, fluffy pillows of sound. While waiting for the Raveonettes to take the stage, something changed; the audience suddenly looked like a Target commercial: red-faced college boys with highlights mingled with tube-topped girls with even more highlights. Two guys high-fived. A girl was scrolling through dirty pictures of her and some guy on her camera phone and text messaging her friend. Once the Raveonettes trotted onstage though, the wall of sound brought the rock. Danes Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner supplied two out of three guitars for most of the set, the band booming songs off 2003's Chain Gang of Love and new tracks from Pretty in Black like the early atomic age. Standouts included their cover of "Sleepwalking," amplified by Wagner and Foo's luscious harmonies, "Red Tan," and the sultry "Love in a Trashcan." Their cover of "My Boyfriend's Back" encapsulated the noirish, bubblegum fun of the hour-plus set, Foo singing as if she were Ronnie Spector's psychic twin. There should have been two more of her in matching dresses and gloves. It was rock & roll loud and proud, high fives all around.