LOCAL EXPOSURE: The Armadilettantes need to come out of their shells.

(Sean Bletcher of The Armadilettantes is rather fond of his eyelids and thusly, uses them every chance he can get. © 2009 Benjamin Luk.)

To be fair, The Armadilettantes’ performance at The Backstage Lounge was essentially their first show, so it’s only natural they’d be a bit rough around the edges. It was clear from their set that all four members of the group are seriously talented musicians; it just takes time before a band really meshes and becomes a group as opposed to four dudes onstage all doing their own thing. Aiming for a neo-punk vibe and hitting most of (if not all) the right notes, there’s plenty of potential for these young rockers, if only certain members would learn a thing or two about stage presence.

No, I take that back. Well, sorta. I’ve never been a fan of the tired Awkward Retro Hipster routine that’s been around since Napoleon Dynamite somehow made $44M in international box office receipts, but that seems to be what frontman Sean Bletcher is going for. Sporting a 60s headband and enough gawky gesticulation to make a slightly-obese 14-year-old girl brim with self-confidence, his inner punk was present while screaming the lyrics of his songs, only to mysteriously vanish during any attempts at crowd banter. Vocal lessons might not hurt either, though his passionately-delivered off-key barking may very well be a crux of The Armadilettantes’ overall charm.

Other key players – pun totally intended – include Sean Bayntun, the other Sean B. in the band and talented keyboardist. Formerly of local pop rock outfit Empire Alley, Bayntun’s energy and anxiousness to perform onstage again after all this time was palpable. During the set closing “Pedestrian”, Bayntun could be seen pounding the keys in an apoplectic display of Gothic-inspired anarchy while the rest of the band launched off into a punk-metal jam that’d make you want to run through an antiques store with a sledgehammer. Other band members (Sam Hutchison on drums and Adam Nigro on bass), though technically proficient, need to open up a bit more before The Armadilettantes’ punkness can finally coalesce into something greater than the sum of all its parts.

I urge you all to check out The Armadilettantes on Facebook and download their free MP3s. For a young band like this, there's nowhere to go but up, and I can't wait to see them at the top in a few short months.