Mono In VCF at the Triple Door

When Mono In VCF took the stage Saturday night, Mrs. Seattlest had to shut our mouth for us as singer Kim Miller sauntered up to the microphone in a little black dress and a pair of high-heeled boots straight out of our best dreams. We don't mean to be crass, of course. But it was... nice.

And then the lights came up, but just a little. And a guitar began its slinky strum, the haunting playback of violins. And Mono In VCF settled into the first song on their debut, self titled album.

"Escape City Scrapers" is not only intensely cool, it's also a little cheeky, in that it feels like a weird window to another time when your parents were experimenting with acid and staring up at the popcorn ceiling from the relative comfort of a friend's shag carpeting. It's a psychedelic narrative that's both modern and retro. And it's a perfect fit within the splendid swank of the Triple Door.

Another dramatic song, "No Blood in Bones" provided the ultimate showcase for Miller's powerful voice. We sat forward, anticipating the familiar high-note near the end of the song and holy shit -- there it was. Miller delivered with no problem whatsoever.

While some songs seemed right at home on stage, others ("Masha", "In Los Angeles") felt forced and less suited for a live format. Aside from that, our only real criticism of the band's live album premiere is that much of it was, well, boring.

Until Miller's brief introduction of the band and recognition of their audience, very little energy or personality was felt from that stage. Perhaps it was a decision based on theatre and stage persona, but it felt a little off-putting. That said, we still enjoyed ourselves and we're still listening to their debut album regularly.

More photos after the jump...