The Pipettes Prove To Be Positively Powerful

With the buzz created by The Pipettes' much talked about (but not seen by many) CMW show, their time at this year's SXSW and news of their debut album finally being released in North America on Aug. 28, (their new EP has just been released), the kick-off to their North American tour at Lee's Palace last Friday night was going to have to really suck to disappoint attendees.

Well, it didn't suck. In fact, this concert was the most infectious, energetic and charming show I've been to in years.

Things got off to an awkward start with Monster Bobby, the man credited for actually forming The Pipettes and the leader of the mysterious Cassettes (The Pipettes all-boy, yellow cardigan-sporting backing band). His solo guitar work accompanied by Casio-like electronics made only a slight dent on the early crowd.

After such an out of place first act, Smoosh, a fantastic and far from legally attractive Washington sister duo took the stage. Drummer Chloe is 13 and her sister Asya, 15, played keys and sang. Their younger sister, 10-year-old Maia, confidently plucked a bass through about four songs, almost struggling to hold up her instrument. And yet they blasted through an energetic set of keyboard-driven pop-rock that included a cover of Bloc Party's "This Modern Love."

By the end of Smoosh's set, the sold-out crowd began moving towards the front, and as I moved up to about a metre from the stage, I stood behind a forty-something man with a suit jacket, tie, dress shirt, light jeans and "hip" runners. This was the last person I wanted to be stuck behind for a show at which I assumed I'd been dancing and singing. Little did I and every single person within a three-metre radius know that this guy was maybe the biggest Pipettes fan EVER.

As the trio — sporting their trademark polka-dotted outfits, semi-coiffed hair and big smiles — hopped on the stage in sequence, the strange man went nuts, hollering "RiotBecki! Rosay! Gwenno!" while dancing like a maniac to opening number "Don't Forget Me." The energy from this bizarre sequence quickly infected the crowd and had most of the dance floor moving early on. The vibrant set included most of their forthcoming debut, along with a heaping spoonful of new tracks and B-sides, all of which had the audience entranced. Without knowing the new lyrics or choreography, onlookers were still wrapped around the band's fierce fingers. The female trio were having just as much fun on stage as the audience was, laughing and joking throughout.

The girls' coy looks, attitude and simple dance moves won over the swarm and, by the time they played "Pull Shapes," not a single body was left standing still, especially creepy super-fan in the front. Besides being an outrageously good time, The Pipettes also proved one very important thing — that they're not just another revival band. They have something more than that behind them, and it's the ever-lasting power of good pop music.