Innerpartysystem has its band name emblazoned on sneakers available at Hot Topic UK — though the members can’t afford to buy a pair for themselves.
“My parents don’t get it. They’re like, wait — so you guys go over to the UK, you’re on MTV, and you play for thousands of people, but you don’t make any money?” said drummer Jared Piccone.
Despite the band’s perceived fame, the members are still broke. The self-described “electronic rock band” hails from Pennsylvania, and it sells out shows to screaming fans in London. In Iowa, the band is still fairly unknown.
“When we last played in Iowa, there were only 30 kids in the audience, whereas in Detroit, there were 5,000,” Piccone said. “[Our success] is a big difference here in the U.S. But being a band, we just have to let it all happen.”
This gap in recognition is due to the difference in appreciation of band loyalty and value of music ownership, he said.
“People in Europe and the UK definitely seem to care a little bit more about owning a band,” Piccone said. “We [Americans] usually think, ‘I heard that song, it’s kind of cool, maybe I’ll go home and steal it,’ whereas the UK fans find out where the band’s playing, buy the album and the limited edition T-shirt. They take more time.”
Innerpartysystem, whose band name is a play on wordspeak from George Orwell’s classic 1984, will perform an all-ages show at the Picador, 330 E. Washington St., at 6 p.m. Nov. 1. Tickets are $10.
“Innerpartysystem is kind of dance band,” he said. “It’s nationally known, it has been on the PacSun tour, and I think people will recognize the name on the posters around town.”
Although the band describes itself as an electronic-rock group, the crowd at an Innerpartysystem show is more likely to be populated by Warped Tour kids than hard-core electronic fans. The band has toured with nu-emo bands such as 3OH!3 and Saosin. Innerpartysystem’s music is slightly less bubblegum, with lyrics and electro beats hovering near the qualifying line for a parental-advisory warning label.
Piccone said this emo association was unexpected.
“As far as fan base goes, you can’t even control that anymore,” he said. “We’re all big fans of DJ culture and electronic music, and that extreme hard-core electronic fan base didn’t grasp onto us very much.”
Unfortunately, as Innerpartysytem has learned, extreme hard-core electronic fans also don’t sell out stadium-sized concerts.
An Innerpartysystem concert typically features elements from both the hard-core and teenybopper musical realms. Giant, homemade “toys” — such as 6-foot tall joysticks — flamboyantly operate electronic instruments while an ornate light show provides a backdrop reminiscent of a Warped Tour stage.
“If I had to compare our show to a sport, it would be something like soccer or basketball that doesn’t stop,” Piccone said. “Our show is kind of set up like a DJ set — it doesn’t stop in between. We don’t play any of our songs live the same way they sound on the CD. It’s fast-paced.”
