The Parlotones @ DC9 Tuesday

It’s not often that we get South African modern rock bands here in DC, but The Parlotones will be squeezing their stadium-sized act into the confines of DC9 this Tuesday, September 14th.

Already multi-platinum in their own country, they were one of the bands selected to play at this year’s World Cup, and lead singer Kahn Morbee was pretty geeked about it. “Pretty cool gig is an understatement,” Morbee recalled. “[It was the] most memorable show of my life, even though it was one song. Sadly all the players I was excited to see play really never sparkled-Milner, Rooney, Ronaldo, Torres and my favourite, ‘Messi.’ However there were still some amazing performances, and I enjoyed the vibe and period immensely.”

The Parlotones have yet to achieve the same success here in the U.S. that they’ve achieved in South Africa. But they’re hoping that’s to come with the release of their new album, Stardust Galaxies, and an American tour kicking off here in the nation’s capitol. Packing a pop-friendly punch with soaring, sweeping vocals by Morbee, they possess a grandiose sound that echoes bands such as James and The Killers.

It’s a strong CD all the way through, with songs ranging from the giddy energy of “We Call This Dancing” to the crooning balladry of “Fly to the Moon.” Still, Americans can be very fickle when it comes to embracing acts that are successful in other countries. “We write music that covers a spectrum of energies and we’d like to believe that it’s music that can resonate across borders,” says Morbee. ”Even if it doesn’t, we’ll certainly have fun trying.”