When Elefant’s lead singer, Diego Garcia, commented last Friday
on how high the Rocket Bar’s stage is, a skeptic in the crowd
yelled back, “You better live up to it.”

The heckling may have been unsettling to someone else, but
Garcia was up for the challenge. Through the 12-song set, Garcia
played the role of rock god so well that it’s hard to believe that
he once was an economics student at Brown. From the moment he
stepped on to the stage, the tall, dark and handsome frontman
solidified his role as star of the band by swaggering around in a
style that has earned him comparisons to Jarvis Cocker and
Morrissey.

It seems that being featured in a Vogue fashion spread and being
called one of New York’s most eligible bachelors by Spin has given
Garcia a certain cockiness.

He used this cockiness to his advantage as he delivered lyrics
about love that are as easy to understand as they are to
appreciate. Garcia’s commanding stage presence added an interesting
dynamic to Elefant’s simple songs that is missed when listening to
their album at home.

Dressed entirely in black, Garcia displayed his natural charisma
by constantly connecting with the crowd. While singing, his gaze
was often low and shifting, making eye contact with as many fans as
possible.

After they played “Misfit,” their current single, Garcia spotted
a less-than enthusiastic male fan in the crowd, reached down,
grabbed his arms and forced him to applaud.

“Someone get this guy a beer; he needs one. I’ll even pay for
it,” he announced.

Although Garcia possesses obvious star quality, he would amount
to nothing if not for the support of guitarist Mod, bassist James
Jeffrey Berrall and drummer Kevin McAdams.

The band tones down Garcia’s sweet vocals with their gritty
backing.

The combination works unbelievably well live, proving that
Elefant lives up to the hype they have gained as a result of their
place in the increasingly popular New York underground scene.

The Rocket Bar chose the Floating City and the Race, two
similar-sounding midwest bands that were considerably slower and
gloomier than the new wave-inspired, indie-rock of Elefant.

This only increased the anticipation for Elefant’s arrival.

After opening with “Bokkie,” one of their more earnest
offerings, they played most of the 10 tracks from their 2003 debut,
Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid.

They played two new songs, “Black Magic Show” and “Michelle,”
both of which are consistent enough with their 2003 sound.

During older songs like “Make Up” and “Tonight Let’s Dance,” Mod
and Berrall jammed vibrantly to the beat of McAdams fierce
drumming, almost upstaging Garcia. The threat was only momentary,
however, and it allowed the audience to see that there is a real
connection between the four musicians–a connection that is
necessary for any good band.

Since they are able to deliver a solid show backed by solid
music, it shouldn’t be long before Elefant tours through St. Louis
again. And if you’re lucky enough to catch them then, you will
undoubtedly wish that you caught their intimate show at the Rocket
Bar last Friday.