Givers: 5 January 2012 – Brooklyn, NY

Givers

Lafayette, Louisiana natives Givers have been touring on material from their first LP In Light for almost a year now. They’ve played New York area venues five times in that period, and still, their following and reception only increases with each performance. The buzz is not unwarranted. For one, In Light is an excellent first effort; ten up-beat and immediately replayable afro-pop indie gems.

When the studio album is this good, it’s much harder to disappoint when playing live. People are excited to hear their favorite songs, and will unwittingly fill in most flubs and gaps in their own heads. The audience at The Music Hall of WIlliamsburg on January 5th quickly realized that mentally accounting for the bands mistakes is not necessary at a Givers show. What also became immediately clear from the first song is that the band’s name is the furthest thing from a misnomer. Givers give. They give every bit of themselves at every show.

The star of the group is Tiffany Lamson, who utilizes an unorthodox percussion and ukulele stage set-up to yield some heart-pounding freak-outs as well as some downright beautiful vocal breakdowns. Guitarist and singer Taylor Guarisco has his own unique presence while performing, remaining three feet in the air for the majority of the show. Lamson and Guarisco fed off of each other wonderfully during this stop-off in Brooklyn and the result was a spectacle to say the least. Pure unfiltered energy poured from the stage at all times and the crowd was swept up in the flood. Drummer Kirby Campbell, bass player Josh LeBlanc, and multi-instrumentalist Nick Stephan are no slouches either, holding down the rhythm section that gives the band it’s signature worldly sound.

They played In Light tracks as if it were the record release party, and the crowd listened as if they were hearing them for the first time. Their encore of “Up Up Up” was where the show peaked, as the entire crowd bounced up and down in unison with Taylor. It’s incredibly easy to become a fan of Givers at one of their concerts, as they dole out happiness by the forkful and give no inclination that the servings will stop any time soon.