Despite temperatures in the 30s and a mist to rival Seattle’s gloomiest of weather, Austinites packed into the historic Scoot Inn on Saturday for notorious partyboys The Knocks. And, a party it was.
The duo, comprised of JPatt (James Patterson) and B-Roc (Ben Ruttner), kicked things off with “New York Narcotic” the title track off of their 2018 album. Infused with a dubstep beat and a catchy hook courtesy of Katie Lee on guitar, the ode to Gotham City had the crowd addicted from the start.
With all of the slickness (as well as the glitter and sequins) of Bootsy Collins, JPatt owned the stage, leaving complete satisfaction on “Big Bills,” the purely dance number with one of the more explosive choruses normally featuring Big Boi. Perhaps the only thing outshining bassist Blu DeTiger’s bedazzled, tiger-print jumpsuit was her funky bass playing. The groove was absolutely locked in for “Shades.” The unabashedly self-promoting record was brought to life as each member of the band donned their finest sunglasses.
Midway through their set, the Knocks returned to their DJ roots, mixing oldie-but-goodie “Dancing with the DJ” alongside the legendary nu-disco single “Shooting Stars” by Bag Raiders. To this faithful listener’s delight, JPatt took to the keyboard to play a few bars of “Magic,” introducing it with a dedication to all the fans that had been with them for a long time. (Yes, dear reader, your author may have been responsible for this interlude as she may have emailed the Gmail address listed in their Spotify bio for song requests.)
The Knocks party quickly heated up again with an energized cover of “Lights and Music” by Melbourne’s Cut Copy that seamlessly melded into a rendition of The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me.”
Straight through to the encore (which JPatt noted they would just go ahead and play without leaving the stage since it was so cold), these New Yorkers gave us a dance party to remember. Feeling euphoric and excited to keep the high going, the audience filed out onto East 4th street and into neighboring bars. As I followed my friends to our next spot, my mind replayed the night’s events and had me wondering when I might get my next fix.
(Photo Credit: Alexis Petropoulos)