Eternal Summers explore new sounds at Kung Fu Necktie (photos, review, setlist)

Virginia space-punk three-piece Eternal Summers swung through Philly on Tuesday night for a boisterous set at Kung Fu Necktie. The band has been touring hard for the past year in support of its excellent 2012 release Correct Behaviour, and the time they spent performing comes across. The set was perhaps the sharpest I’ve seen Eternal Summers – locked-in and fierce, with Nicole Yun’s stratospheric guitar lines weaving with precision around Daniel Cundiff’s percussive overdrive. Dude drums like somebody who’s had a couple Five-Hour Energy drinks, but he’s nonetheless pointed and spot-on, mixing snare hits and rimshot trills and classic Phil Spector runs. Keeping everything centered was bassist Jonathan Woods, and the band worked through a lot of material from Correct Behaviour – the white noise existentialism of “Heaven and Hell” rumbled, roared, and sounded tremendous – as well as about a half-dozen unreleased numbers. “That was the longest song we’ve ever played,” Yun joked after an expansive, borderline prog number that might have been called “Bruce.” “I think it was four and a half minutes.” Funny, sure, but it’s definitely a change for a band that used to write two minute pop nuggets. What made Correct Behaviour such a great release last year was the boldness with which Eternal Summers ventured into bigger and broader sounds, and if Tuesday’s set is an indicator, its next release will continue that growth.

Setlist
Charlie
Wonder
You Kill
I Know Now
Jeremy
Millions
Bruce
Disappear
Wash
Gouge
Heaven and Hell
Jangle
Deep End
I Love You
White