If you were looking for a good time on Thursday night, it was at the Taproom with Minden and Hidden Pictures.
Hidden Picures
Hidden Pictures is a great little indie-pop band out of Kansas City, so it’s always nice to catch them in Lawrence. The band bleeds cute; and they’ll make a sunny day out of any gloomy night.
Over the course of their set, I became more fond of the songwriting. It’s too bad more people weren’t there to hear how every single player in the band brought a unique and clever sound to every song. These people have a knack for composition. It always excites me when a band busts out a glockenspiel, and Hidden Pictures features that instrument prominently in their music. I was also especially fond of how upbeat the drummer was. This was truly a performance to perk up anyone.
Minden
Speaking of energetic drummers, Minden has gained a lot of attention lately after releasing a very entertaining music video. It features drummer Ryan Johnson leading a team of aerobics babes in a very attractive and sassy dance number.
The band brought that same sassiness and energy to the Taproom Thursday night. The fans had filled out pretty quickly for the much-anticipated show. Minden also comes from Kansas City, so seeing them in Lawrence isn’t something that happens too often.
It wasn’t long before Taproom patrons were bopping along to the catchy tunes. Songs like Gold Standard are infectious and may just make a mover and a shaker out of even the most uptight scenester.
It’s very clear that this is a band that likes to have fun. There was a certain electricity in the air when they played (and even before their set), and they like to bust a little move every now and then. The bass player spent much of the show meandering between one corner of the “stage” to the other; while singer Casey Burge enjoyed a little jig here and there during his guitar solos. It’s especially hard to ignore Johnson, who could very easily be compared to “Animal” from the Muppets when he flips that wild mane (and beard) of his. The guy just screams fun.
There most certainly was no shortage of that kind of fun at the Taproom. The crowd was fairly sparse, but both Minden and Hidden Pictures brought out the best in everyone. Even the shy folks loosened up and started cutting a rug with each other while Minden’s songs got dancier as the night went on. It may have been DJ night everywhere else in Lawrence on Thursday night, but it’s only Minden who will really make a dancer out of you.