Finally a few Middle Kids that aren’t invisible!
The saying that the middle child feels invisible in the family pecking order will never be applied to the indie rock band known as Middle Kids.
They were the furthest thing from invisible, performing for a crowded house at the Rock and Roll Hotel on June 15th.
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Middle Kids released their first full-length album, Lost Friends, in May. It’s a great album full of catchy and heart-felt songs, and I’m listening to it right now!
The eager crowd settled in for a fine evening as Middle Kids started their 16-song set with “Bought It” from the new album, a plea for help during a moment of weakness. If that plea was meant for the sold out Rock and Roll Hotel, it would have been answered immediately since all the people moving and swaying to the melodic song had a leave no middle child behind policy (presumably).
The band is Hannah Joy (vocals and guitar), Tim Fitz (bass) and Harry Day (drums). They’ve only been playing together a few years, but it sounds like they could have been making music for a very long time. Each of the 11 atmospheric songs they played from Lost Friends is an emotional journey, from joyful highs to hopeful middles to pleading lows full of pain.
“On My Knees” is a hopeful change of perspective, while “Edge of Town” speaks to the chaos of life, ‘And the one resounding answer that I could take, is that I don’t know nothing and I got no way’.
They played the fantastic “Mistake” in the middle of their set (saving the best for the middle?). I want all songs forever to start with the croon of Hannah’s ‘Oh, my darling…’ and the melody and bass line that toys with your emotions.
Later “Please” is more plaintive pleading ‘please come back to me’. They closed out the main set with “Never Start”, a bluesy, rocking song about learning the hard way.
They came back for a quick encore of blink-182’s “All the Small Things”, much to the joy of everyone singing along passionately with their neighbors.
Aside from the cover song, I’m still listening to Lost Friends! Get yourself a copy now, and hopefully you make the extra effort to ‘see’ them when they come back through DC.
Setlist
Bought It
Old River
Your Love
On My Knees
Edge of Town
Don’t Be Hiding
Maryland
Mistake
Doing It Right
Tell Me Something
Fire in Your Eyes
Please
So Long, Farewell, I’m Gone
Lost Friends
Never Start
Encore
All the Small Things (blink-182 cover)
A DC Journey 
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