CMJ Music Marathon 2008 Day 5: Die! Die! Die!

As a New Zealand trio known for their wildly energetic shows chock full of crowd interaction, Die! Die! Die! seemed hopelessly discombobulated in the spacious three-quarters empty Blender Theatre. While I can’t blame this entirely on the band (the Blender Theater is a world away from most other CMJ venues), it certainly didn’t help them. Though they made an earnest effort to whip the crowd into a frenzy with their garage punk stylings — jumping into the crowd and rolling on the floor — it never seemed to adequately hit the mark they were aiming for. The band had a solid chemistry, but put forth a product that was far better suited for a venue half the size and twice as full. Instead, Die! Die! Die! played a set that resembled a high school musical being performed at Carnegie Hall.