Breaking all the boundaries with Dangerous Ponies

I was rather determined not to review any bands this week. After all, this is Video Week, my visually immersive break from show reviews and general observations on the scene. But the city of Athens had different plans in store for me. I chanced going to one show, a single night of music featuring today's music video creators, blog favorite Sam Sniper. Surely I would be able to resist whatever tune-filled magic the bands threw at me on this one night...

And I just might have succeeded in resisting had it not been for the Philadelphia band Dangerous Ponies. Apparently, the band had made a huge impression on the members of Sam Sniper during their last visit to Athens, and the rave reviews these guys gave me definitely had me intrigued. And I can promise you, they did not disappoint. To put it simply, the guys and girls of Dangerous Ponies masterfully defied conventions to show the crowd what a live show truly should be.

With seven members sporting some of the most insane getups I've seen outside of an Of Montreal show, including one girl in a ripped tiger-striped bodysuit, they had the attention of the audience from the beginning. Armed with three guitars, a bass, the drums, a keyboard, a children's xylophone, and a few tambourines, they burst into a set of solid indie dance pop tunes with a circa 1960s rock vibe that had the fans, not moshing or bobbing their heads as I've come to expect from my fellow Athenians, but full-on dancing, rhythm intermixed with wild abandon. It was a sight to behold! In just minutes, the crowd grew into a huge grooving mob of eager fans, a large portion of whom knew every word to the band's songs. For a group from Pennsylvania who have only made one stop in our town before this, the reaction of the crowd was simply awe-inspiring. With an incredible sense of fun, the band reciprocated the fans' love as the tambourine players waltzed with members of the audience, blew bubbles at them, and even gave them tambourines to play along with the band. And on top of it all, I had the chance to chat with several members of the band before the festivities began, and these musicians couldn't be any nicer. Wow. Just wow. Boy, do I wish Dangerous Ponies was an Athens band! I seriously can't wait till they come visit us again.