When a band from the unexplored tundra of Minnesota can pack the
basement of a house that’s deep in the Central District on a Wednesday
night, they must be doing something pretty special. Jessica Seamans and
Briana Smith of Best Friends Forever write party-inciting pop
songs that not only get a place really hot really quickly, but that
also draw you in with their honest charm and sexy lyrics. It’s always
exciting when you can tell a band enjoy playing as much as the audience
enjoys watching them, and BFF were definitely amped to be at the
Greenhouse last Wednesday night.
Before the band finished their first song,
keyboardist/guitarist/lead vocalist Smith had thrown down on each of
her respective instruments, while Seamans ripped it up on bass and
played a little sea shanty on recorder. All the while, their new
drummer, Joe Rand, who the girls kept talking about between songs as if
he wasn’t there, kept the groove tight on the tiniest drum set I
have ever seen. Positive vibes washed over the whole room.
You know those moments at a show when you’re having such a good time
that the smile won’t come off your face? Smith dances like David
Byrne straight out of Stop Making Sense while singing
wildly, mostly about falling in love (“I don’t know you/That’s why I
think you’re the perfect person”). She is one of the most entertaining,
outgoing, and welcoming singers of any band going right now. Her
intoxicating energy clearly provides the spirit of the group.
Watching the band rock out and chat between songs, it was obvious
that, true to their name, the girls are friends before
bandmates. Before their last song, Smith told the audience, “Life
without friendship is like the number 50 without the five, and you
guys, that’s just zero!”
Time will tell if it lasts, but if Wednesday’s show is any
indication, Best Friends Forever will be warming hearts across the
country for quite a while. 