With an unconventional vocalist and some silly lyrics about giraffes (“The Zookeeper’s Boy”) and ninjas (“Rows”), it can be easy to dismiss long-running Danish rockers Mew. But take one look at the sea of captivated faces at a gig, like their recent showing at Webster Hall, and the near-universal look of serene devotion is enough to make just about anyone a believer. Mew fans love Mew, to a degree that few modern bands can claim. Mew give that love right back in spades, with vocalist Jonas Bjerre casting his sad puppy dog eyes upon lucky attendees in between longing gazes skyward (and, perhaps, into a different, dream-like dimension of Mew’s own making). In a word the night was magical, and we can only hope Mew don’t wait nearly as long to pay NYC another visit.
San Francisco’s The Dodos made for fine openers, with their spirited, frantically-strummed indie rock filling the cavernous space quite nicely. Indeed, the duo had its fair share of devotees in the audience as well, inspiring plenty of swaying, head-bobbing, and outright dancing among the gathered.