Vivian Girls at Nectar last night was just heavenly. The band played about a half hour, mixing songs from their self-titled debut (faves: "Tell the World," "Wild Eyes," which was "dedicated to Hottie McHotterson, whoever he is"], and "Such a Joke") with songs from 7"s and a Beach Boys cover (revoke my credentials, but I couldn't recognize the song through their droney treatment [update: it's "Girl Don't Tell Me," available on a 7" that they didn't have for sale last night]). They sounded perfect, all laconic vocal harmonies, bright brash melodies, and simultaneously steady and rickety rhythms. Also, they are terribly charming. After talking about the smell of the sound guy's chewing gum (watermelon), they joked about how they can't chew gum and play at the same time ("what do you think we are, Mariah Carey?"). The band remarked on the weird layout of Nectar, and then gave TacocaT a ringing shout-out, endorsing them as “the best band in the world” (I give up already, TacocaT—you win).

The band also handled with good humor the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s Puritanism (seriously, those guys are one buckled hat away from regulating witchcraft) regarding drinking onstage, which bands can’t because they’re supposedly club employees in the eyes of the WSLCB (though they don’t make minimum wage or receive other benefits of employment). Vivian Girls couldn’t take drinks onstage, their singer said, but “if someone buys us three whiskey shots, we’ll break the law—we’re punks, we break the law.” Later, they pantomimed drinking out of imaginary pint glasses. At the end of their too brief set, Kickball Katy handed her bass off to drummer Ali Koehler, then took over on the drums, tapping out a halfhearted beat as her bandmates left the stage, like she didn't want it to end either.

Later, Love Is All’s frontwoman wondered if her mic cord was long enough for her to walk offstage and drink; it was. A digression: WSLCB, this regulation is retarded; it doesn’t even keep people from being drunk onstage if they want to be, it only inconveniences their drinking for the half hour or hour they’re performing. And it’s making Seattle the butt of a lot of jokes—this is the third of fourth time I’ve heard touring bands ragging on Seattle in the last month for this shit, and deservedly so. (A possible new slogan for the Seattle City of Music initiative: “Seattle: We're not as bad as Utah!” Think about it, guys.) Love is All were cute and professional and fun, and a couple of their songs are catchy as hell, but Vivian Girls were the overwhelming highlight of the night and kind of a tough act to follow.