Concert Review: KING at Doug Fir, 2/14

L.A. neo-soul trio King brought their unique, fluid groove to a Valentine's Day crowd made up mostly of couples, and the palpable attraction in the air was misdirected enough to probably warrant a fight on every attendees drive home from Doug Fir.

The group, comprised of twin sisters Paris and Amber Strother and singer Anita Bias, have only just released their debut full-length, We Are King, the follow-up to a 2011 EP that attracted attention from major media and infatuated Portlanders alike. Songs "Supernatural" and "Hey" were hailed en masse with enthused screaming each time Paris Strother introduced them from her place center-stage, directly behind and bisecting her bandmates. The lynch-pin of the group, Paris Strothers masterfully plays no less than 3 keyboards simultaneously: a drum machine, a high-register Korg for lead melodies and a low one for bass, all while smiling and rocking back and forth in an ever-present two-step that the other members mimicked, almost in unison.

Charming as the show was, it was not without required effort from the listener. With the exception of the album's lead single "The Greatest," very few songs have a hook or melody that one could hum from memory minutes after hearing it. Just when you think you have it, it shifts up a half-step, deepening the song's complexity. While enveloped in the experience of a King song initially, you're placed in a strange, carefully crafted, dreamlike trance. But once it ends, you're left to continue private study independently for the full potential each track holds to blossom.

Very few situations would negate the impending fear of ridicule that would paralyze this concertgoer when propositioned to dance publicly but if you'd been witness to the gregarious, subtle charm that the Sisters Strother radiate from stage as they share brief glances and giggle between vocal acrobatics, you'd likely be moved to attempt something sexy with your awkward body also. Especially when Paris reluctantly announced the last song of the night, then suggested every audience member dance to the final number. "If you really love us," she said, "you have to prove it, Portland."

The good news is that no matter how inept you might feel in your own ability to physically latch-on to the enigmatic groove, practice makes perfect, and King seem poised to lure even the most romantically challenged, regardless of the date on the calendar.

All photos by Emily Joan Greene.

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