The Hundred in the Hands at the Electric Pickle, June 23

Photo by Alex Broadwell

The Hundred in the Hands' Eleanore Everdell.

​​The Hundred in the Hands
Presented by Nightdrive
With Benton, Will Renault, Uchi, and Laura of Miami
Electric Pickle
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Better Than: Getting your car broken into by a crackhead looking for Lashonda's iPod.

Walking toward the Electric Pickle at 10:15 p.m. on the half empty streets, there was a stillness in the air. Aside from a few early birds grabbing a bite at the Mac'n Food Truck parked below the club's neon "liquor" sign, and a few kids chugging Lagunitas by their cars, the place seemed unnaturally deserted.

After being handed a flesh-colored wristband, I stepped inside to a small crowd of people that had sprawled across the Pickle's velvet couches. There was a communal, easy-going vibe as tiny groups of friends leaned in for conversation over $3 Grolsch.

Out back, the feel was the same. Soft patches of light from the patio's disco ball dotted the intimate cliques sitting on the mod white couches while dudes played pool and foosball with a beer in hand. It was what you always dreamed parties in college would be like.

The first DJ to spin was Benton as part of Electric Pickle's regular Thursday rotation. By 11 p.m., there were already couples and friends isolating themselves from the crowd in the main room to dance to his funky beats.

Benton DJs in Electric Pickle's main room.

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But at 12:26 p.m., the atmosphere changed completely. En masse, everyone scrambled to the door. The upstairs had finally opened up and you could see what everyone had been saving their energy for.

The dimly-lit room was almost uncomfortably crowded with anticipation as Laura of Miami laid down some tracks. Stepping out to the rooftop was the only source of relief, and it seems, the cool thing to do.

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Atop the Wynwood venue were Brooklynites Eleanore Everdell and Jason Friedman from The Hundred in the Hands themselves. As they talked to the only two other people on the roof while waiting for the show to begin, he lazily swept his hair across his face, while she began bouncing up and down, either out of nervousness or impatience.

When they finally made their way inside around 12:45 and took the stage, the crowd went crazy. As some started swaying and bouncing to energetic opener "Pigeons," every other person whipped out an iPhone to get that perfect Hipstamatic moment.

Aside from the one girl who fell asleep sitting on the stage, the energy didn't die down for one second. Everdell's airy vocals were flawless as she hopped to the beat of her own drum machine while Friedman's fast-paced riffs served as a full-out contrast to the evening's earlier mood.

The Hundred in the Hands' Jason Friedman.

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Toward the end of the show, Everdell thanked the crowd by yelling, "You're so rad, Miami!"

After their last song, "Commotion," which drove the crowd into a giant dance orgy, the mayhem was basically over. Most people left, but those who stayed picked up on the chill vibes from before by grabbing a couple drinks and swaying to Uchi's set upstairs, and Will Renault's downstairs.

The only downer to the night? Three cars were broken into on the adjacent streets by a homeless crackhead saying he was looking for Lashonda's iPod. Wonder if he ever found it.

The Hundred in the Hands' Setlist: