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New Yorkers love their homegrown heroes, and they’re always bound to come out in droves to show their support when said heroes come home for a visit. The crowd was thin at the start of the sold-out show featuring The Rapture and Sydney electro duo The Presets, but it filled up quickly. At one point, it seemed as if the place was empty, and then a while later, I looked up again, and there were people everywhere, not only on the main floor, but all along the balcony as well. From guys in scary latex masks to shrieking droves of groupies, everyone was excited that the boys were back in town. On the eve of CMJ 2006, this was a pretty no frills sort of show; the flyer at the entrance of the venue read simply, “9:00 - The Presets, 10:00 - The Rapture,” and the evening didn’t stray far from this plan. The biggest surprise of the night was the great opening set by The Presets, who are touring the States with The Rapture to support their 2005 LP Beams, a mostly hit or miss sort of album, though a very enjoyable first effort. In person, however, they’re all business. Singer Julian Hamilton claimed they were there to “warm up the crowd” for the headliner, but they went above and beyond, getting the crowd really into their music. Julian entertained us with spazzy dances and happy banter, while drummer Kimberley Moyes mainly kept a low profile. He sat at his drum kit until the last few numbers and then when he stood, I was amazed at how thin his lower body was in comparison to his broad shoulders. Dude has skinny legs! Chopstick legs! He gave us a few dance moves, too. It’s amazing how awkward guys can make such awesome music. The pair began the set with “Girl (You Chew My Mind Up,” and plowed through most of the better tracks from their album, ending on a brilliant mash-up of “Down Down Down” and “I Go Hard, I Go Home,” the two best songs on Beams. Aside from an overly long and repetitive song in the middle of their set that dragged the energy down somewhat, they were very impressive. They got big cheers when they left the stage, cheers that were well-deserved. They’re definitely a group that needs to be seen live in order to be truly appreciated. Beams doesn’t even hold half the energy that this performance did.
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