Mates of State & Fictionist
Tractor Tavern, Ballard, WA
01.21.15
In a place known for its eclectic sound, the Tractor Tavern hosted indie pop duo Mates of State on Wednesday night to a packed, jovial crowd. Made up of husband Jason Hammel and wife Kori Gardner, Mates of State specializes in stilted timing, cascading vocals, and an overwhelming sense of happiness. It’s hard to believe they’ve been around almost 20 years now. I recall seeing a couple of their performances back in the days of Team Boo, and one would be hard pressed to cite any differences between then and now, new material aside. Smiling from ear to ear, Mates of State is still tearing it up.
Eager yet respectful, the crowd edged around the small stage, as Mates of State began their set promptly at 10:00. Besides a few random dates, this was their first show since concluding a tour last April. And, even though they haven’t released an album in a few years, their catalogue remains ferociously catchy. After performing “So Many Ways,” Hammel and Gardner had this exchange regarding the evening’s set list:
Hammel: We’re gonna play some old, some new…
Gardner: Not this one.
Hammel: What? This one is neither? (both laugh)
Gardner: We can’t deviate! I got all these buttons, we can’t be wild today!
Still easing in to “tour” mode, it was exciting to watch them get their feet wet. And wet they were, as they went into “My Only Offer” and “The Re-Arranger.” The crowd looked like they had been pulled from an episode of the Brady Bunch, bouncing smiles off of each other as they all sang along. Hammel and Gardner took the award for cutest stage duo, shooting glances and sneaking cues, all the while bantering back and forth. The audience even got to hear Gardner’s best east coast/angry New Yorker impression, involving the all-important topic of pizza, re: “What? You want some meatballs with that?!” Swapping all instrumental roles and proving once again how great of a team they really are, Mates of State ended the evening with “Like U Crazy” and “True Love Will Find You in the End.”
Opening the show was Provo, Utah’s indie pop foursome, Fictionist. With sprinkles of throwback 80’s style and sound, Fictionist has been making music for the better half of a decade, culminating thus far in their 2014 self-titled full length album. With the recent departure of keys man Jacob Jones, they didn’t seem to miss a beat this evening, playing nine songs, including “Give It Up,” “Free Spirit,” and a rad cover of the Eurythmic’s “Sweet Dreams.” Fictionist will continue on tour with Mates of State through the end of the month, so if you’re unable to make it, check them out at Fictionist.com.
Review by T. Monte
Photos by Sunny Martini
Mates of State
Fictionist
