After seeing Givers last Wednesday night at the Social, I find it hard to recall any band of late that performs with such unadulterated exuberance. [Text by Andrew, photos by Mike]
This Orlando show was the second time I've gotten to experience their music, and maybe it was just the beer, or close quarters or the always-ridiculously-good sound system at the Social, but the Louisiana fivesome just seemed to get better with age and were nothing short of magnetizing. The honey-sweet vocal harmonies of Taylor Guarisco and Tiffany Lamson, the primal poly-rhythms, the ebb and flow of the band's sunny, tropical compositions — they all meld to create this serotonin-rush of a musical spectacle that makes it hard not to go home with a grin.
The on-stage energy is raw, almost like they’re playing their first show every show, but it wouldn't be half as commendable if their tracks didn't totally kill it as well. Givers’ musical DNA is a strange brew; each member coming from backgrounds of zydeco, Cajun, and indie pop in the hotbed of swampy Lafayette, La. This translates to an eclectic collection of tracks from their debut LP, In Light, that are pushed to their breaking point in a live setting.
Givers plowed through an assortment of In Light tracks from “Ceiling of Plankton” to “Saw you First,” “Words”, and “Meantime” before ending their set with a long and raucous Talking Heads medley of "Girlfriend is Better"/"Sugar on my Tongue"/"This Must Be the Place" with members from the opening band, Young Man.
Givers closed with their most recognizable and audible candy of a track, “Up, Up, Up,” leaving with a strong and indelible finish. If the returns are just as good as the energy this band puts out, their future should be nothing short of wildly thriving and fruitful. Keep an eye out for Givers.
This article appears in Jan 19-25, 2012.