The Dandy Warhols at Belly Up Tavern: 2012
The Dandy Warhols brought their psychedelic indie-rock to Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. The Portland band, veterans of the '90s alternative rock scene, showed they still had the songs, the style, and the swagger.
The Dandy Warhols Story
The Dandy Warhols formed in Portland in the early '90s, part of the same scene that produced Elliott Smith and The Decemberists. But where Elliott Smith was introspective and The Decemberists were literary, The Dandy Warhols were louche, glamorous, and unabashedly retro.
They broke through with "Bohemian Like You" in 2000 - a song that became an inescapable commercial sync (Vodafone used it in ads). Some bands would resent having their coolest song used to sell phone service. The Dandys embraced it, understanding that commercial success allows artistic freedom.
The documentary "Dig!" chronicled their relationship and rivalry with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, showing The Dandy Warhols as the successful, professional band while BJM imploded through drugs and dysfunction. The film made both bands more famous.
The Sound
The Dandy Warhols blend '60s psychedelia, '70s glam rock, Velvet Underground cool, and '90s alternative into something distinctive. Courtney Taylor-Taylor's vocals are deadpan and sneering, the guitars jangle and feedback, the keyboards add retro textures, and the whole thing feels like a cooler, more dangerous version of what alternative radio was playing.
They're not innovators or revolutionaries. They're revivalists who understand that '60s and '70s rock had something special and that mining those sounds with contemporary sensibilities can create great music.
The Performance
The Dandys took the stage with confident swagger - looking like they'd stepped out of a 1970 Vogue photoshoot. Courtney Taylor-Taylor's hair, the band's vintage-inspired outfits, the whole aesthetic reinforced their commitment to rock and roll as style and attitude.
"Bohemian Like You" got the expected enthusiastic response. It's impossible not to move to that riff and groove. The song is pure distilled rock and roll cool - simple, catchy, and timeless.
"We Used to Be Friends" (the "Veronica Mars" theme song) showed their gift for television sync placements. Like "Bohemian Like You," the song connected with wider audiences through media placement. The Dandys understand that sync licensing in the 2000s and 2010s is what radio was in earlier decades - a way to get your music heard.
Deep cuts from albums like "Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia" and "Welcome to the Monkey House" pleased the devoted fans while showing the band's range. They can do driving rock, dreamy psych, and everything in between.
The Retro Aesthetic
Some critics dismiss The Dandy Warhols as derivative - just rehashing '60s and '70s sounds without adding anything new. But that misses the point. They're not trying to innovate; they're celebrating the music they love and doing it with style and skill.
There's value in bands that understand and execute specific sounds exceptionally well. The Dandys know '60s psych-rock inside and out, and they bring that knowledge to bear in their own songs.
The Belly Up Vibe
Belly Up was the perfect size for this show. The Dandys can play larger venues, but the intimacy of Belly Up made it feel like a private party for cool kids who knew the secret. The venue's excellent sound system brought out the nuances in their production - the layered guitars, the vintage keyboard sounds, the groove.
The crowd was older alternative rock fans who'd been following The Dandys since the '90s, mixed with younger fans who discovered them through TV placements or the "Dig!" documentary. Everyone was there to have a good time and to bask in The Dandys' effortless cool.
Professional Musicianship
What separates The Dandy Warhols from countless retro-rock bands is the musicianship. These are skilled musicians who can execute their vision professionally. The songs are well-crafted, the performances are tight, and the production values (live and in studio) are high.
They're also shrewd about the music business - licensing to commercials and TV shows, owning their own studio in Portland, maintaining creative control. The "Dig!" documentary showed them as the business-savvy band versus BJM's chaotic dysfunction. Both approaches have their appeal, but The Dandys' approach allows sustainable careers.
The Portland Connection
Portland has a specific music culture - indie-minded, slightly weird, DIY but professional. The Dandy Warhols fit that culture while also being more glamorous and rock-and-roll than typical Portland indie bands.
They own their rehearsal/recording space (The Odditorium) in Portland, creating a hub for their work and for other Portland musicians. That investment in local infrastructure shows commitment to community, not just their own career.
The Verdict
The Dandy Warhols at Belly Up delivered exactly what you'd want - professional retro-rock done with style, swagger, and genuine love for the source material. They played the hits, they looked cool, they sounded great, and they showed that alternative rock from the '90s still has life.
If you love '60s psychedelia and '70s glam filtered through '90s alternative sensibilities, if you appreciate bands that understand style is part of rock and roll, if you want music that's cool without trying too hard, The Dandy Warhols deliver.
They're not trying to save the world or push boundaries. They're making rock and roll that sounds good, looks cool, and makes people want to move. Sometimes that's enough.
Thank you, Dandy Warhols, for keeping rock and roll glamorous and for understanding that commercial success and artistic integrity aren't mutually exclusive.