Ex Cops, made up of Amalie Bruun of Denmark, Brian Harding, and a drummer that's never named in the press releases, were the only openers of the night. They started with the song Tragically Alright, the collaboration with Ariel Pink. Ariel Pink isn't only endorsement they have; Billy Corgan produced their new album.
Amalie's voice always projected and sounded right, but she seemed nervous in front of the crowd. She didn't create a presence that could fill a stage that otherwise looked a little empty. When Brian sang he sounded muffled, but I couldn't tell you whether it was because of him or bad sound mixing.
It was a short set from Ex Cops, but it ended strong with their song White Noise.
Even though the Dum Dum girls played in Ferndale in late March, they went on tour again before the year was over. Dee Dee simply referred to the Loving Touch as "the other place", and said that she missed being able to bowl after a performance. That was kind of her to say, because the last time she played the Stick the power to the stage went out in the middle of a song (to be fair, that was the only time I've ever seen that happen there). It was also kind because while the Loving Touch nearly sold out last March, the Stick seemed to be only about 1/3 filled, despite the fact that a lot of people felt the need to pre-order and print tickets at home.
Their last album, Too True, was released before their last tour, but it was the current tour that was devoted to it. They played every song from Too True, in the exact order as it is on the album. I Will Be, their first album, was known for being very lo-fi and fuzzy. Only In Dream, the second album veered away from the lo-fi sound, and Too True abandons it completely.
The encore included some of the older fan favorites. While Dee Dee doesn't play guitar for most of the performance anymore, she was playing it for Rest Of Our Lives. She did it in the same fashion she always does; rhythmically swaying her hips, and dipping her right leg down a little lower on every fourth beat. Dee Dee's voice always seems to be holding back, with a gentle sort of croon. The only song where she belts it out is Coming Down.
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