Show Review: Hinds at Velvet Jones on 10/17/16
As the saying goes, girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, right? Now, we all know that women are creatures far exceeding these basic ingredients, but add some cherry-red lipstick, high-tops, an oversized t-shirt, and a cigarette or two, and we might just have something that resembles the essence of Spanish indie rock band, Hinds. Consisting of four female musicians and vocalists from Madrid, Spain, Hinds played at Velvet Jones in downtown Santa Barbara on October 17th, and trust me, it was not your average Monday night.
At 10pm sharp these girls graced the stage with clever lyrics and gamine style, and it was genuinely refreshing to see a band that was very authentically enjoying themselves. Whether they were feeding off the crowd or we were eating out of their hands, there was a synergetic relationship of energy in the room between every person and all four of the alluring gals on stage. Couples canoodled in full embrace, strangers bumped strangers with friendly acceptance, and maybe it was all in my imagination but I swear even the bouncers were giggling a little by the end of the night. As a viewer, I felt like they shared with us an atmosphere as intimate as a slumber party with a few best friends, dancing around in a bedroom to whichever songs suites the mood. Everything was very casual, and they sounded the same live as they do on album. Speaking in the tongue of a lover, their romantic Spanish accent only adding to the irresistible energy of everything that is Hinds. Each girl’s individual personality could be seen, and the way they interacted with one another on stage was heartwarming. All of them gave each other encouraging hugs in between songs, and took individual moments to support one another.
As the night came to an end, they said their thank you’s and goodbye’s, adios’ and toodaloo’s, before leaving the stage. However, no one in the room was ready to say goodnight. An inevitable encore concluded the night with Hinds playing “Davey Crockett,” carelessly dancing around, and laughing as though they were all sharing some inside joke. And the audience loved every moment of it. Boys in the front were practically jumping on stage, and there wasn’t a face unadorned with a huge smile. After the encore, everyone rushed to the merch table to pick up Hinds-designed, exclusive-to-shows merch (after all, what is a concert if you can’t materialize it in some novelty, 100% cotton way, am I right?), and I too gave into the temptation. The band came over to talk to everyone and anyone who wanted to say hello. We asked two of the members, Carlotta Cosials and Amber Grimbergen, if they would say a station ID, and they were more than willing. Maybe i’m biased, but I do think it’s one of the best ID’s I have heard, and I am happy to have been present in its creation.
With their playful charm they mystified us all, and their music was ethereal sorcery wrapped up in oversized t-shirt, scrunchies, and sneakers. Pretty much brown-paper-packages-tied-up-with-string sorcery. Like, definitely favorite things status. By the end of the night I basically wanted to date them all, elope to Spain, and start a new life as their eternally dedicated roadie. Sadly, that dream has yet to be fulfilled, but you too can inevitably feel the magnetism of their love spell at their next concert.
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Written by Ashlea Vedder