Last Night: Oberhofer & The Vaccines at Bowery

They haven't released any singles, EPs or albums. And yet, UK group The Vaccines managed to sell out the coveted Bowery Ballroom last Thursday - the same stage that jump started the very successful careers of comparable guitar bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and The Strokes.

I was lucky enough to get tickets to see this much buzzed-about band.

Opening was Oberhofer, one of my favorites from last year. I'm glad he's a go-to for a support act. He's a bit crazy, but his live set really can't be beat. Brad's as tight as ever.
Check him out if you can! He's doing a big tour right now with Tapes N' Tapes.

myspace.com/oberhofermusic

You could sort of feel excitement building during the final set change, which is sadly unusual for shows in jaded New York. Photographers overwhelmed the front of the house, and bloggers filled out the rest of the place.


Shortly after, The Vaccines took the stage to a very adoring and impressed crowd. They opened with their most well-known song, Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) and followed with more guitar rock songs from their forthcoming LP What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?, which is due via Columbia on March 21 in the UK. Presumably due to lack of material, their set ran exactly 30 minutes and was all over a bit after 11 with an encore.

All and all they were a pretty tight act. I'm not sure if they're really deserving of the intense amount of hype they've been getting, but everyone else seems to think so. We shall see. It'll certainly be interesting to watch.