On what was the kick-off date of their 2010 Spring tour, Vivian Girls visited Allston's Great Scott and pleased a young, bouncy audience. The girls paired up with longtime friends, Male Bonding of the UK, and local band, You Can Be A Wesley (YCBAW), for a superb show on March 8^th.

YCBAW, a four-member group comprised of BU graduates, combines catchy chord combinations with the soft, clean voice of their front woman, Saara Untracht-Oakner. Saara, who also plays the rhythm guitar and her bandmates: Winston Macdonald, Nick Curran, and Dan Goldenberg complete the line-up of this Allston-based band. Over the past two years the crew has gained the praises of local publications like, the Improper Bostonian, The Weekly Dig, and The Boston Phoenix. With vibrant, stunning energy and genuine chemistry, YCBAW opened with a great forty minute set on Sunday night. Pink socks, echo effects, and half an hour of non-stop grunge-influenced surf rock were some of the images and impressions the band left on their audience.

Next on stage was three-piece group, Male Bonding, who have earned their place as part of the body of the most significant indie bands all over the globe. With Robin Silas Christian on drums, John Arthur Webb on guitar, and Kevin Hendrick on bass, the band adopts an intense style: up-tempo songs played as loudly as they can. The band, who stole the audience's energy as the second act, recently signed with alternative music powerhouse Sub-Pop, and will no doubt continue to prove their force in the industry for years to come.

Marking the debut of the main event, Vivian Girls' guitarist, Cassie arrived on stage carrying a suitcase with a pedal panel in it. Kickball Katy (bass/vox) and Ali K. (drums/vox) were on their marks and and set to go, when technical problems seemed to hold up the band's performance. The girls managed it coolly however, and their ortherwise impatient audience, couldn't help but smile at Katy's smoothness. "It's our first date this Spring, tonight..." were Ali's words, somewhat excusing the snafu and perhaps suggesting they might be a little bit rusty. Nothing could be further from the truth. The girls pulled off an amazing set, enriched by their most popular tunes, "The End", "Tell the World",and "Wild Eyes" among many others.              

The girls developed  their band surrounded by Brooklyn's underground punk and psychedelic music atmosphere. The resulting style represents a nice dichotomy between their apparent quietness and the force and extremeness with which their music invades whatever venue they play at. Cassie's guitar and antics (dropping to the floor and frantically playing with the buttons of her pedals) are in great contrast to Katy's chill approach and constant smiling. You can tell that beyond all appearances, these girls are serious about their music. All in all, a great show to check out this spring.

Vivian Girls are set to continue touring the U.S. until the end of April. For information on upcoming shows check out: www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc