Miracles of Modern Science, Ambassadors Played Mercury Lounge [photos]

Without a doubt, the line slowly clambering inside of Mercury Lounge last Friday was the longest I’ve seen waiting to get into the venue. Not to mention, practically every third person seemed to be a hopeful concertgoer who had to be told that there were no tickets available. This scene wasn’t surprising, though, considering the bands that were scheduled to take the stage. Neither Miracles of Modern Science nor Ambassadors let down their eager crowd — both exuded an energy and passion that got the audience cheering, participating, and asking for more when it was over.

Miracles of Modern Science are unique to say the least. Led by three string instruments, a mandolin, and percussion, the members weave beautiful arrangements and whimsical lyrics to create a hybrid of indie and classical. A combination of gently picked notes and solid bow swipes, the songs manage to feel rich without the use of heavy distortion or over-used effects. MOMS is essentially a poster child for bands attempting to create real sounds with real instruments, and they deserve immense credit for how they’ve accomplished this. Primarily playing songs off Dog Year, released in December, they also broke out a solid cover of Prince’s ”I Would Die for You” — these boys certainly know how to not take themselves to seriously (in the best way possible).

Somehow, between my first time seeing Ambassadors at pianos and this most recent performance, the group has grown into even more of a performance band. Beating drums and clever, upbeat riffs combined to create music that was easily digestible but still incredibly interesting — not to mention the sweet dance movies from front man Sam Harris. At the root of the entire set, though, were Harris’ vocals. True talent in this arena almost seems rare these days, so hearing a voice that strong and emotive was refreshing to say the least. He belted and crooned and shook with energy, bringing the lyrics to life and drawing the crowd into the set. This is truly a band that I could see over and over again, and most likely will.