Viagra Boys with Provoker @ Warsaw- Brooklyn, NY
Photos & words courtesy of Edwina Hay | April 4th 2022
Stockholm post-punk band Viagra Boys tour came to Brooklyn, NY for a sold-out show at Warsaw on Monday, April 4, 2022. They’re currently on their first North American tour after the release of their 2021 record, Welfare Jazz, and will wrap up their jaunt in the US by performing at Coachella at the end of the month.
Viagra Boys are joined on this tour by Los Angeles’ Provoker, their YEAR0001 record labelmates. Provoker kicked off the night at 8PM with their moody songs that were further enhanced by the dramatic stage lights. Their debut album, Body Jumper, was also released last year and their setlist consisted of those songs. Before they began “Blue Sheen,” vocalist Christian Petty requested blue lights to compliment the track.
Taking the stage at 9PM were the Viagra Boys. After the band appeared on stage, singer Sebastian Murphy immediately took off his shirt before they began their first song, “Research Chemicals,” from their 2016 EP Consistency of Energy. He spent much of their set drinking and spewing beer, crawling around on stage, and announcing that it was his birthday in between songs. At one point, many people in the audience began to sing “Happy Birthday” to him before the band started another song. The five members of Viagra Boys blazed through their dozen song setlist plus two song encore (“Sports” and “Down in the Basement”).
This was my first time seeing Viagra Boys live due to me missing their prior NYC shows at Bowery Ballroom and Rough Trade NYC (which subsequently closed with only the record store relocating to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan) in 2019. I arrived at the venue expecting a rowdy and fun show and the band, along with the audience, lived up to those expectations.
Wolf Alice @ Stage AE - Pittsburgh
April 1st 2022: Wolf Alice with Charlie Hickey @ Stage AE - Pittsburgh
Glass Animals in Washington DC - Photos Courtesy of Gabby Ames
Wolf Alice went on their second US headline tour for their recent album Blue Weekend. They played a sold out show at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, with support from Charlie Hickey. The venue had a very intimate feeling which made it easier for the band to interact with the audience during the set. Bringing in the emotions with No Hard Feelings and showing angst with Play The Greatest Hits, it was definitely a show to remember.
Charlie Hickey
Yungblud with UPSAHL @ The Warfield - San Francisco
Photos & words by Dana Jacobs | March 17th 2022
Yungblud’s hotly anticipated Life on Mars tour took one of its last stops in San Francisco earlier this month to a fervently energized sold-out crowd. Hours before Yungblud, the stage name of Dominic Harrsion, took the stage, hundreds of fans wrapped around the venue. By the time the lights dimmed awaiting Harrison, the crowd was visibly restless with anticipation. The roar that filled the venue as Harrison’s silhouette emerged at the microphone was a testament to his enduring popularity.
Yungblud’s music heavily incorporates themes of mental health, isolation, and struggling to fit in. Harrison leans into these themes throughout his live shows, and San Francisco was no expectation. In between high-octane bursts of energy jumping around the stage, Harrison spoke with the audience about the importance of finding community together and reaffirming safety of his shows for all fans. Harrison unfurled pride flags multiple times as they were thrown onstage by fans, to the audience’s uproarious applause.
Yungblud’s set was relatively short at only 14 songs including an encore, but his seemingly boundless energy made for a continuously engaging night. Through high energy songs like “parents” and “The Funeral,” Harrison quite literally jumped and ran up and down the stage while maintaining impressive vocal control. Saving one of his most popular and meaningful tracks, “Machine Gun,” until the final encore song, Harrison ensured that an already raucous night ended on both a spirited and significant message
Opening for Yungblud was rising alt-pop singer UPSAHL, whose effortlessly cool set electrified the crowd. Since the release of her debut album Lady Jesus in 2021, the young Arizona native has garnered massive success with singles like “Drugs” and “People I Don’t Like” stacking up tens of millions of streams. The angsty punch of UPSAHL’s alt-pop songs fit perfectly with the Doc Martens and fishnets aesthetic of the crowd, who responded in kind as they sang along. UPSAHL commanded the stage with unbothered swagger as she moved deftly between playing bass, guitar, and working the stage with just her microphone. Despite a relatively short opening set, the young artist left the crowd energized and eagerly awaiting UPSAHL’s next move.
Amber Mark with Shaun Ross @ Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
Photos & words by Timi Ikene | April 03 2022
On April 3rd, Amber Mark performed one of the most electrifyingly intimate shows I've seen an R&B artist perform. She engaged the crowd so well that a novice fan became a die-hard one by the third song. Between the funky rhythms, melodic electric keys, and Mark's silky voice, I think it's safe to say she'll be selling out more shows in Chicago to come.
Glass Animals @ The Anthem - Washington DC
March 29th 2022: Glass Animals with Sad Night Dynamite @ The Anthem - Washington DC
Glass Animals in Washington DC - Photos Courtesy of Gabby Ames
On March 29th, Glass Animals brought all the energy to Washington DC on their first of two sold out shows. They played songs from their first album ZABA as well as their more recent album Dreamland. With an incredible set design that brought the cover of Dreamland to life, they finished off the night playing their hit “Heat Waves”.
Sad Night Dynamite
Together Pangea @ Cobra Lounge - Chicago
Together Pangea with Sad Park + Skating Polly @ Cobra Lounge - Chicago
Together Pangea in Chicago - Photos Courtesy of Kaitlyn Johnston
Together Pangea brought their brand of loud indie punk to a sold-out crowd at Cobra Lounge on Easter weekend. Saturday’s crowd showed up early, and in a big way. The lineup for this leg of the tour seemed to be catered perfectly for Together Pangea’s die-hards to find their new favorite bands. Opening the evening was Sad Park - a young band reminiscent of if emo sweethearts Prince Daddy & the Hyena lost their hard exterior and focused on being a more palatable, radio-ready version of their best attributes. Following was Skating Polly - a band so dynamic and diverse musically that there was no time to lose interest in their 45 min set. With loads of punk energy and loud, saturated bass lines - Skating Polly took charge of the stage and claimed it as their own. Both openers did an excellent job of setting up the evening for Together Pangea. The band took the stage, and from the first note, the room exploded with energy. The California veterans tore through 19 songs quickly and without a wasted moment and left the room wanting more.
Sad Park
Skating Polly
Geographer @ Sleeping Village - Chicago
March 29th 2022: Geographer with Chong the Nomad @ Sleeping Village - Chicago
You’d never know it from the low-key exterior of Sleeping Village in Chicago, but on the evening of March 29, the inside of the venue was a glow. Geographer and Chong The Nomad as support came through with some of the best live sets I’ve ever seen.
Chong The Nomad is a name you must keep on your radar as an ethereal vocalist and jaw-droppingly talented electronic producer. Her music forces you to dance- you just can’t help it. While the crowd was small during her opening set, she performed as if it were for a festival of thousands and danced around the stage often forgetting about her own sprained ankle she mentioned at the start of her set.
The drummer and lead vocalist duo that made up Geographer’s live show also provided a beautiful performance of light and color, both sonically and visually. While simple, their production of neon glowing beams behind them set up their show for greatness, and even with just two artists gracing the stage, their presence was massive. Geographers’ sound builds within each of their individual songs but also builds throughout their set, reaching anthem-level energy even within such a small space.
The Geographer and Chong The Nomad tour wraps up this week with dates in El Paso and Tucson, and I definitely look forward to what’s to come from both of these artists.
Chong the Nomad
Matt Maltese @ Beat Kitchen - Chicago
March 27th 2022: Matt Maltese with Girl Puppy @ Beat Kitchen - Chicago
Matt Maltese - Photos Courtesy of Alana Swaringen
Matt Maltese hosted his sold-out Chicago show on March 27th at Beat Kitchen, with Girlpuppy as his support. The combination of these artists on this bill was a perfect setup, as both provide a very haunting and intimate sound but in entirely different ways. Girlpuppy gave a dreamy and melodic intro to the evening and while her soft grunge aesthetic contrasts Matt Maltese’s sound, her performance was what was needed to get the night started.
Upon reflection, this evening really caught me by surprise- Maltese’s committed fans waited outside long before doors opened, and were passionate about nailing that perfect spot to see the talented piano player and singer. What was surprising was as a performer who’s seated during his entire set, Maltese can only provide so much crowd interaction that the appeal of being close to him didn’t seem to cross my mind. But once his show began, I understood the captivation that his sound provides, the sonic energy that just pulls you in and makes you want to do anything to catch a glimpse of him moving his fingers across the piano keys. Maltese also had no lack of crowd interaction whatsoever, constantly checking in on his audience and cracking jokes. Maltese’s haunting and emotionally fueled ballads were balanced with intertwined humor. It was clear that almost everyone in the room was both moved and entertained.
Matt Maltese just completed his US run and will continue some touring in the Uk and Europe when the fall rolls around. To hold us over until we can see him live once again, check out his recent 5 song EP drop “Quiet Recordings” out now.
Girl Puppy
