Photos by Jonathon Bernstein
It’s never easy to get in the mood for an early show, especially one that starts when it’s still light outside—but that was the challenge given to Starlight Girls and The Stepkids at Mercury Lounge on Tuesday. Luckily for the packed house, they were both up to the challenge.
Starlight Girls started the night with their psychedelic surf rock absolutely charming the full house at Mercury. Their blend of saccharine pop harmonies over some seriously funky bass and guitar licks were a refreshing take on the kind of Cali garage rock that’s been played to death these days. Coupling the performance with projections that ranged from abstract designs to pictures of mountains, they took the crowd to places normally inhabited by go-go boots and body paint.
The Stepkids followed up with their already legendary stage show. The three-piece band delivers extremely funky and immaculately played hooks that would make Steely Dan proud — the fact that they dance in unison while playing only makes it cooler. The Stepkids had the (by then) completely packed house dancing and marveling by the end of their first song, and the enthusiasm just built from there. They offered a brand of charisma very rarely seen in rock clubs these days.