After Dwight Howard Johnson, the opening act at The Southern this past Thursday night, had played its piece and left the stage, there was an obvious alteration in the audience. Previously the crowd had consisted of a small group of 20 to 50 year olds standing at the outskirts of the floor while sipping whiskey and Coca-Cola and swaying mildly to the opener’s pop-punk sound.
As soon as the lights went down, the crowd more than tripled in size, as hordes of twentysomethings poured into the venue, converging towards the stage to pack the floor in excitement for Those Darlins, the headlining performance of the night. To hoots of adorations and appreciation, the Darlins rocked out for the duration of the evening.
Thursday’s show marked the Darlins’ third visit to the Southern, and drummer Linwood Regensburg said the group was “absolutely” glad to be back. Hailing from Nashville, the band had stopped in Charlottesville for the second night of their fall tour, promoting their new album, “Blur the Line.” Regensburg’s parents accompanied him and the rest of the band at this stop, seeming as excited and quietly proud as could be. For their part, Regensburg and lead singer and guitarist, Jessi Zazu are extremely personable and funny; they’re just normal people, except with a slightly more sophisticated fashion sense and a great deal more artistic talent.
The Darlins’ unique personality and variety of styles shined throughout the show; although Regensburg described the Darlins as “rock and roll,” others disagreed. Lynchburg native and fan Nate Sullivan characterized the group as “alt-country” with some “indie-rock” influences, and Charlottesville resident Jacqueline Roper agreed that the Darlins exude a country feel and an “earthy” sound. All of the above seems to be true: the sharp, solid guitar solos speak of an interesting fusion of 1950s and 1970s quintessential rock and roll that can be heard in tracks like “In the Wilderness,” and Zazu’s throaty, harsh voice mirrors Joan Jett’s raw, angry vocals, while aspects like the subtle twang of the bass create a hillbilly pluck sound, and the pervasive Tennessee accent of the Zazu and Nikki Kvarnes, the Darlins’ additional guitar player and singer, define the style as closely related to down-home country tracks in songs such as “Oh God.”
Also worth noting on the subject of sound is the absolute necessity of Regensburg’s drumming talent. While the group’s three guitars create a somewhat monotonous, heavy foundation that always gets the audience’s blood pumping, the drums help to break it up and define the rhythm that drives the group’s overall underground feel. Lightening up the vibrating, occasionally overpowering mesh of the guitars and vocals, along with a consistent bass line similar to Weezer’s distinctive melodic style lends a generally relaxed flow to the music. This element matched perfectly with the fans’ gentle swaying and lack of intensity last Thursday.
The show was a smashing success; a representative of Charlottesville’s own radio station, WNRN, Kitten Gilmore exalted the “energetic and engaging” nature of the performance, while others like Roper agreed that the style and feel of the show “amped it up.” The venue fit the band perfectly: the dark undertones of the music suited the small, close atmosphere of the open floor. I can only hope that the band returns to little old Charlottesville sooner rather than later.
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