I have to admit I didn’t know much going into this show. My friend and resident GC staff photographer Muhammad Asranur has been talking about this show for weeks—he and the fine folks at Anak Negri Productions pulled hard to get White Shoes and the Couples Company all the way here from Jakarta (their first trip to the U.S.!). So after their performance at SXSW a couple weeks ago, their only other U.S. performance besides the SF show, I headed online to see what sort of info I could dig up to get me pumped and prepared.
And you know what I found? Not one, but multiple references to “The Love Boat.” Weird, no? I get it: they wear matching white outfits and sing summer-y, ‘70s-influenced pop songs. But is there any possible way that a number of different reviewers from different mags all went to the show and came away with the same campy impression? Or is it just one original idea and a lot of plagiarism?
I showed up half expecting a mediocre turnout (no offense, Muhammad!) and instead found the venue packed to the rafters with what seemed to be the city’s entire Indonesian population. Foxtail Somersault was playing—a female-voiced psychedelic brand of indie pop that reminded me of other local sweethearts Minipop—as people chatted and pushed through the crowd with drinks held high. They played dreamy background music for conversations about work and weekend plans. I enjoyed what I could hear of the performance, but I think they would be better suited for a different venue, a more invested crowd and a little less of the smoke machine.
People continued to file in, past the awkwardly placed bar near the entrance and into the main area, where tinsel and patio lights draped from the ceiling. The White Shoes set up their own instruments—guitars and keyboards and the whole deal—careful not to dirty their white shoes. When the crowd quieted a bit, vocalist Aprilia Apsari introduced the band, mentioning that they were thankful to all the people and organizations that helped put together the show and that they “really hope to entertain you tonight.”
Well they certainly accomplished that. From the first chord, the group (Apsari, Yusmario Farabi on acoustic guitar, Saleh on electric guitar, Ricky Surya Virgana on bass, Aprimela Prawidyanti Virgana on keyboards and John Navid on drums) was all “Beach Blanket Bingo” dance moves and “ba bah ba bah” choruses, sounding like the beach party band from an Austin Powers movie. What they do, they do extremely well, noted by the audience members who were dancing along with Apsari. The White Shoes played about an hour-long set comprised of catchy tunes in a mix of English and their native tongue, songs like “Brother John,” “Runaway Song,” “Sabda Alam” and “Kapiten dan Gadis Desa.” And they never stopped moving for a minute.
So that question about originality vs. plagiarism? I really wanted to say it was the latter, but quite honestly, this amazing Indonesian sextet screamed cruise-ship-lounge-band, even in a cramped, smoke-filled club in the Mission. But I don’t mean that in a bad way. They were great musicians, entertaining performers and genuinely thankful they get to do what they do. I got the impression they know their music is light and fun and a little cheesy, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
White Shoes: whiteshoesandthecouplescompany.org
Foxtail Somersault: foxtailsomersault.com
