Friday Oct 31, 2008 (9pm)
Tonight the Echo brings a polarizing night of tunes for boys and girls, so no standing on opposite sides of the room. Brooklyn's Asobi Seksu (meaning "playful sex" in Japanese) flirt between nonchalant vocals, muted pop punk, and soul, after local openers Love Grenades seduce the crowd with stylish funk and fetching back-up beauties. And sandwiched in between, the belligerent R&B vocals of Austin's love-hungry Strange Boys' promise a sock in the jaw and an ice pack on the eye. A lineup like this begs the questions: Are you man enough? Are you all the woman you can be?
– Sabrina Jaszi