It is a common belief that the more people you have on stage, the better the performance will be. Dash’s performance at Kings on Friday was probably a testament to that statement, in that upwards of a dozen performers were playing at Kings, complete with instruments of all varieties– but all in the sake of solid tunes. The Wilmington-based group, fueled by support from friends, had a packed show with wholesome fun. Hey Roccio and Rio Brave were great openers to the show, as they provided enough zeal to keep listeners wanting more.
The electronic pop, jumpy rock band had at least five violinists on stage. I was slowly reminiscent of Ra Ra Riot’s temperance to include classical strings to indie favors. Dash’s performance was rife with catchy melodies that had everyone in the audience dancing along, in a crowd where the typical representative only gets “jiggy wit it” at weddings and maybe private indoor functions. “Into the Sounds” the group’s most popular hit (and incidentally one that receives quite some airplay on WKNC) flickered with a slow start, and ignited the whole venue.
In between songs, DASH peppered their set with covers of Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead” and Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”. It is always refreshing to see bands, especially ones that are locally based, to diversify their playlist from things that aren’t exclusively on their set. With only a minor hiccups due to audio capabilities (forgivable for a band that large on stage), DASH were able to recapture the attention and fervor left by their other songs with a classical quartet performance in-waiting. Lead singer David Garcia smirked his way through his set, engaging and captivating as all performers are wont to be. A few head-nods and raised fist-pumps later, concertgo-ers were able to acclaim, that they too, were “into the sounds”.