by Matt Kelchner
Last Friday night, Moon King and Mr. Twin Sister came to town to kick off their two week long tour at Boot and Saddle. By the end of the night, the two acts turned the small South Philly venue into a mini version of Making Time. While each group have their own unique sounds that might not sound too similar, the combination provided the perfect one-two punch to kick the weekend off.
As the crowd began to trickle into Boot and Saddle, the sweeping, soaring sounds of Moon King began to fill the air. The Toronto based dreampop group played a number of selections off their recently released debut full length, Secret Life, including one of our new personal favorites, “Impossible”. With the crowd buzzing, Moon King wrapping up their short, but impressive set and made way for Mr. Twin Sister to take over.
On record, Mr. Twin Sister (formerly just Twin Sister) are a laid back mix loungey, slowed down dance and their own take on dream pop. On stage, they take almost a complete new form. Driving bass lines and bongo rhythms fill each song, providing solid ground for singer Andrea Estelle and singer/guitarist/saxophonist Eric Cardona.
With a collection of albums, EPs and singles under their belt, there was a nice representation in the song selection. Each song had it’s own special bit of flair, making it a little more raw and fluid compared to each one’s recorded version. Different sections of fans cheered when their favorites, like “All Around and Away We Go” and “Set Me Free” started playing. Other standouts from Friday night included “The Erotic Book” and “Blush”. Their night ended with an older hit, but nonetheless one of their most well know, “I Want A House”, accompanied with handclaps thanks to the crowd. From beginning to end, the Long Island natives kept the crowd moving. If given the chance, Mr. Twin Sister could have easily taken things late into the night.