Mates of State/Maria Taylor - Chicago, IL

On the eve of the Cubs' home opener, Wrigleyville was oddly silent. However, down the street at Metro was a different story entirely. Indie-pop duo Mates of State had rolled into town, along with main support Maria Taylor, and they came to collectively bring the noise. Upbeat, happily precious noise, but still the noise regardless.

Maria Taylor, half of Azure Ray, struck out on her own last year with her excellent debut, 11:11. Taylor, who has contributed to Bright Eyes and other Saddle Creek artists in the past, brought a five-piece backing band with her, including her sister Kate on keys. Don't be deceived by the quiet nature of her album; Maria can rock out. With much of the synth missing from the live show, Taylor and her band juiced up several of the songs, including "Xanax." It was unexpected, but well-executed.

Taylor played half of the songs from 11:11, as well as three new ones. One featured a group whistling section, while Taylor claimed another could get the fans to move: "If you have a heart, you should be able to dance to this." Hearts were present and accounted for, as the crowd became a bit more active. Taylor's new material sounded fuller and more adventurous; fans have good reason to look forward to another LP.

Metro filled up steadily as the evening progressed, almost nearing capacity by the time Mates of State took the stage. If you know anything about the Mates, you know that the two members, Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, are married. It's no gimmick; these kids are all about each other and it shows. When Jason isn't singing, he looks directly at Kori, and they joke and smile at each other during the tracks. Even the most hardened man would be moved by it, and it enhances their stage presence immeasureably.

Mates of State recently released Bring it Back, their fourth album and first for Barsuk Records. The critical response has been strong all around; our own David Fox praised the album for being "more crisp and mature" and said it is "definitely the band's best album." Despite employing just drums and keyboards, the band creates a large, intense pop sound that had the crowd in a frenzy. Their aforementioned stage presence well suits their active vocal/lyrical style, where both members sing on nearly every track, often simultaneously.

The Mates played a pretty even mix of tracks from Bring it Back and Team Boo, their previous LP. A couple of older songs also made the list, as well as David Bowie and Nico covers. Maria Taylor and her band came out to sing group vocals on "So Many Ways," and Taylor stuck around to play tambourine and sing background vocals on the next track. It's always great to see bands interacting in ways that don't seem tacked-on. Sure, Mates of State didn't need the help, but it improved the songs and the fans loved it.

It's the personal connection that takes the Mates' stage show to another level. Well-played, energetic music benefits from artists who give a damn, and that was clearly displayed by Jason and Kori. When the show concluded at midnight, most Chicagoans were on their way to bed. However, we would be awake for several hours further, considering what we just saw and pondering why more married couples don't make precious indie-pop.