Without fail, the Prids grab you and shake you up from note one, whether live or on a recording, such as their latest, … Until the World is Beautiful on Five03 Records. Truly category-defying, there are elements of goth, new wave, no wave and the (rarely) fulfilled potential of indie rock, all in sweeping grandeur. The sonic saturation is so complete it’s latex-wet, as sensual as warm evening rain glistening on hard blacktop. Burdened with music critic comparisons to ’80s gloomy post-new-wave, the band merely shrugs it off and does what they do. The clincher is that what they do on stage sounds as good as what they do on CD, something that even the best studio bands seldom accomplish live.Mistina Keith (bass) has the unique ability to hold the groove and take bottom end leads at the same time. On guitar, David Frederickson complements the bass, leading the pair’s compositions through imposing orchestral arcs. Around these parts, the Prids’ new lineup has only been heard on advance CD (mine!) but we’ll witness it firsthand tonight. Make sure you grab your copy at their merch table while you can, since most of the old releases are currently out of stock. Neither you nor eBay are getting mine.We’re fortunate once again to have this Portland, Ore., outfit back for their annual showing. Your hips as well as your cerebral cortex will want to dance when the Prids take the stage at Burt’s. Supporting act The Foxx are hitting their stride after a lineup change and are more velvety glam-packed than ever before in the luxurious vein of early Bowie and Jobriath. On guitar, the newest band member is Alan Harrison, late of local short-lived but exciting Jackie O. Fanclub. He’s also ex-Mirrors, a fine garage-psych band out of Houston.The openers, our own Unit 7 Drain, bookend the night with their heart-stirring update of indie-pop jangle, Athens alternative and Brit new-er wave.Overall, this night sounds to me like a guided tour through the last few decades of popular music.
The Prids play Burt’s Tiki Lounge on Saturday, July 29. The show is free.
