Pop Empire had never performed before Saturday night.  Yet by 9:30, only halfway into the opening band’s set,  their debut show had sold out.   Early internet buzz, word of mouth and a flawless lineup were all elements that drew dozens out to see what Pop Empire was all about.  The newest edition to Cincinnati’s ever-growing music scene was joined by The Lions Rampant and The Seedy Seeds to celebrate the release of their EP, Rainy Child.

I fought my way to the stage only to find that the Lions Rampant had just ended their set.  I headed upstairs to the Gallery where several pieces were displayed  from local artists who were asked to create pieces inspired by the Rainy Child EP (more on that in their interview).   The photos, drawings and mixed media pieces were all pretty interesting, even if some of their meanings escaped me.   Nevertheless, you better believe when I picked up my copy of Rainy Child, I grabbed a print of one of the pieces.

The Seedy Seeds took the stage for one of their last shows before they head to Austin for SXSW.  The set was mostly  from Count The Days with a handful of new songs thrown in.  My heart broke a little when they failed to play “The Little Patton”, but I had forgotten my kazoo that night anyway.

Still, everyone was there to see Pop Empire and by the time the band hit the stage, the audience was anxious with anticipation.  A few people may have been surprised that the band, made up of Henrie Wilson and Cameron Cochran,  lacked a drummer; one song in, however, and I’m sure no one even noticed.   Though it was only Cameron on guitar and Henrie behind the laptop and on keyboard, the sound filled the entire space in a big way.  Granted, I was standing next to a 3-foot speaker, but at one point I felt my ribcage rattle and was convinced the drum beats were going to give me heart palpitations.

The band played a short and dirty set comprised mostly of songs from the EP along with a few new tunes.  It was obvious the guys put a lot of work into the show, though the songs were a different beast when performed live.  Songs like “Play the Blues” were stripped of their vocal effects and filled out with screeching synth and fuzzed out guitar, leaving them dirty and raw.  Meanwhile, “City Girl + City Boy” seemed less polished than the album’s version but was equally beautiful in its simplicity.  The band ended with “Woman Be Kind”, one of my favorite tracks off the album and performed so flawlessly that the audience begged for more.  Cameron, however, regretfully apologized since they didn’t have any more songs to play.

Thanks to the EP’s free digital streaming and a supportive music scene, the  CD release show was a major success, selling out in almost an hour.   It was Pop Empire’s awesome performance, however, that proved the band had earned the hype.  Locals that missed the show will have a few opportunities to see the band before they hit the road in April.  Check out their Myspace for the full list of shows.