On a cold December night, when the weather couldn’t decide whether to rain or snow, May or May Not warmed Ann Arbor with the unequivocal sounds of summer. The Chicago-based band consisting of three former members of popular Ann Arbor band Donkey Punch and two other musicians played to a mix of former fans and newcomers at the Blind Pig on Friday night. By the end of their set, even icy 30-somethings were yelling for more.
May or May Not are an unabashedly happy affair. Their pop sound has matured from the Donkey Punch days without losing its irreverent, wide-eyed energy. At once youthful and nostalgic, the band melds hypnotic and catchy keyboards, Beach Boy harmonies, cut-to-the-quick guitars, clowning handclaps and bright, punchy drums into pure pop bliss. Over all of it, the longhaired, plastic-framed, cardiganed Eric Day sends his sweet vocals and coy looks to an enamored crowd.
The highlight of Friday night came when Day announced, “These next four songs are part of our space opera.” True to his word, the band launched into its catchiest rocker, “Gotta Get Outta Here,” with its Cars-worthy guitar riffs, stomping drums, “out of this atmosphere” lyrics, and the most irrepressible 6/8-time chorus on this planet. Next came a delightfully over-the-top waltz with shimmering guitar, vocoder keyboard and the winking verse, “In space, there’s lots of space to do whatever we want, ever we want to do.”
With four songwriters, May or May Not can go in as many different directions, but on Friday they were consistently upbeat and upfront, especially when compared with opening act Otto Vector, who could not decide if they were Evanescence, No Doubt or a Euro-house act. More than one May or May Not member remarked on how that band left them “so confused.” In contrast, May or May Not seem surprisingly decided about its sound. They make straightforward pop that succeeds by nuance and personality. In between songs, there is an honesty and offhandedness to their banter and stage manner that draws everyone closer.
Despite playing to a crowd that never quite filled the Pig’s 400-person capacity, guitarist Aaron Brink said afterward that he loved the venue for its acoustics: “We really get a great sound here. It fills up the place.” The band will be back in Chicago by Thursday, when they appear on WLUW’s “Radio One: Chicago.” Fans can look forward to a full-length album next year.