Earlier this year, Stephie Coplan & The Pedestrians came seemingly out of nowhere to burst onto the scene with their rousing "everybody's been there" anthem "Jerk."We here at Culture Brats adored it. The video struck a blow for all those who have ever had the misfortune of becoming involved with a terminal narcissist. It had scenes of Coplan doing housework in an awesome retro dress, The Pedestrians rockin' it out, and that smarmy jackass boyfriend who kept stringing her along.
When I heard that there was to be a CD release party and live show here at Washington DC's well-loved Velvet Lounge, I was there.
After being fairly blown away by The North Country's electrifying opening set, watching Rockville native Stephie & The Pedestrians (bassist John F. Herbert and drummer Shane Considine) take the stage in front of excited fans, family, and friends proved that you can go home again and that it can be wildly entertaining.
Throughout two sets sprinkled with old favorites and new hits, Stephie pounded out melodies on her keyboard while welcoming requests and encouraging audience participation. The floor bounced violently during the unhinged dancing inspired by "Jerk," followed by a more thoughtful and beautifully sung duet with an old bandmate and friend (Alea Bell, who took the stage like a seasoned pro).
The band's desire to connect to their appreciative audience was obvious and the crowd showered them with much deserved praise; the show ended to roaring audience applause and many satisfied faces, including my own.
Not the kind of folks to rush backstage for a break after all that sensory overload, Stephie, John and Shane walked boldly into the mass of humanity to mingle and chat with fans, increasing their likability factor about three thousand percent among showgoers and giving everyone a fantastic "I'm with the band" story for later on.
Way to knock it out of the park, guys.
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