POP ETC

They’ve only been known as POP ETC since 2012 - accusations of homophobia forced an awkward climbdown for the Berkeley trio from their former moniker, The Morning Benders - but they’ve been going for the best part of a decade now, forming in 2005, releasing three full-length records and touring extensively with a veritable who’s who of U.S. indie rock; they’ve opened shows, in the past, for the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Broken Bells, Grizzly Bear, Yo La Tengo and The Black Keys, amongst others. Critically, too, they’ve enjoyed plenty of acclaim, with their second LP in particular - Big Echo - scoring 8.2 on Pitchfork. Their live shows, which usually see them fleshed out to a five-piece, are energetic affairs, with frontman Christopher Chu in a state of constant motion throughout; he’s actually the band’s only guitarist, with so many keyboards and synthesizers behind him that it’s difficult to know whether the band are setting up for a concert or a jumble sale. Recent setlists, since the name change, focused heavily on 2012’s self-titled full-length, although they didn’t have much of a presence on the UK circuit last time out; with the album meeting with a strong critical buzz on these shores, though, expect that to change once the follow-up is released.

I loved the show of POP ETC. They're super present and energetic on stage and get the whole audience going! I especially loved that they also encouraged the audience to sing along. POP ETC are a cool new discovery for me. Hope to see them live soon again.