The Drums wakes up and rouses a calm beach town

The Drums have been a staple of indie-pop for more than a decade. I have been following them since their release of Portamento (2011), and I wait eagerly for every new record. The Drums’ latest album, Brutalism (2019), builds on their classic, genre-defining sound but with a twist. According to Jonny Pierce, the frontman and only founding member left of the original Drums, Brutalism is his most raw album with intentionally crafted pop songs. Their nostalgic sound of 80s-inspired indie-pop stays strong in the new album and lives up to their most popular songs, “Days” and “Blood Under My Belt.”

For their show in Santa Barbara’s SOhO Music Club, Pierce casually walked out in a fashionable satin and embroidered shirt. His demeanor was calm and nonchalant for his first two songs, “Days” and “Heart Basel.” He swiveled back and forth to the head bobbing base lines. The melancholy lyrics and airy melody had everyone swaying with him. The setlist was a mix of all five of their albums and featured all of the crowd’s favorites. When the band played “Lets Go Surfing,” the entire vibe of the small beach town turned around. Everyone jumped to the fast guitar riff, whistling hook, and repetitive lyrics. The calm swaying evolved into a high energy mosh pit with everyone screaming the chorus. Jonny interacted with the crowd by holding out his microphone to the crowd and awarded us by playing “Money” right after. Shoes were stepped on, people were shoved, and maybe even a finger or two were broken, but none of the fans minded at all. The crowd was ecstatic as they went on to play “626 Bedford Avenue” from their newest album.