Viagra Boys @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn
October 18th 2022: Viagra Boys, shame @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY
Viagra Boys - Photos and Review Courtesy of: Edwina Hay
shame, the UK post-punk band, joined forces with Viagra Boys, of Stockholm, Sweden for a nearly month-long tour of the United States and ended their expedition in Brooklyn, NY on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
Kills Birds, the Los Angeles based band that opened all shows on the tour went on at 7:30 PM. The band fronted by Nina Ljeti performed songs from their second record, Married, and ended their set with “Worthy Girl” which has an opening lyric of “this flower kills birds,” and Ljetl shared that it is how the band got their name before the song began.
Viagra Boys, who I caught earlier this year in Brooklyn, are touring in support of their newest album, Cave World, which was released in July on Year 001. Their setlist seemed to reflect a good portion of that record such as playing “Ain’t No Thief,” “Troglodyte,” and “Punk Rock Loser,” The group’s singer, Sebastian Murphy, dedicated the final track of that album, “Return to Monke” to their bassist, Benjamin Vallé, who passed away about a year ago said he loved New York and a fan who recently died but had friends in the audience. Their set also included older songs like “Ain’t Nice,” “Worms,” “Sports,” and “Shrimp Shack” with someone in the audience throwing both of their shoes at the stage during that penultimate song.
The post-punk quintet shame began the final set of the night at 9:45 PM. Their second studio album called Drunk Tank Pink was released by Dead Oceans in January 2021. Singer Charlie Steen seemed to waste no time engaging with fans by leaping into the crowd during their first song, “Dust on Trial.” All members were filled with energy, especially bassist Josh Finerty, who constantly ran back and forth on stage while playing his instrument. Before the final song of the night was played, “Snowday,” Steen revealed shame will hopefully be back next year with a brand new album.
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CHVRCHES @ Paramount Theatre - Seattle
September 30th 2022: CHVRCHES, Cafuné @ Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
CHVRCHES- Photos and Review Courtesy of: Stephanie Dore
Touring in support of their fourth full-length, 2021’s Screen Violence, Scottish synth-pop heavyweights CHVRCHES stopped by Seattle’s Paramount Theatre, along with opener (and Tiktok darling) Cafuné, for a set that fully delivered on their brand of dark delight. The setlist leaned heavily on new music, which is some of their best, and saved some older hits for a three-song encore. If there’s anything to expect at a CHVRCHES show, it’s a super clean set that will get you head banging and dancing and and yelling along with lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry as she rages against these dark times. A few songs in, she self-deprecated as to how all their songs are sad. Yet, they’re still peppy, with the kind of power that feels high enough to carry everyone over.
Cafuné
Jake Wesley Rodgers @ Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia
September 30th 2022: Jake Wesley Rodgers @ Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
Jake Wesley Rodgers - Photos Courtesy of Carolyn Lederach
I’ve had the pleasure of watching Jake Wesley Rogers grow into the blooming superstar he is today. Several years ago I was able to catch him playing at stripped down living room shows, touring in his car with just him and his keyboard. You could tell then the special quality Jake had with his in-depth songwriting and enthusiastic stage presence. It’s so exciting to see the world finally getting a taste of JWR.
We caught him on the highest stage I’ve encountered (it was close to 7 ft tall making it near impossible for anyone in the front to see anything on stage), opening for Panic at the Disco. Such a dream line up to see Jake share the stage with, and what a way to open the show! We wouldn’t expect anything less than for Jake to take the stage in a full red sparkly outfit, Wizard of Oz red boots included. You can tell he will be an icon we all need.
Bring Me The Horizon @ Barclay Center - Brooklyn
September 24th 2022: Bring Me The Horizon, Siiickbrain, grandson, Knocked Loose @ Barclay Center - Brooklyn, NY
Bring Me The Horizon - Photos and Review Courtesy of: Ann Storlie
British rock band Bring Me The Horizon took over Brooklyn, NY’s Barclays Center on Saturday evening. The band (which consists of vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish) is currently on a long-awaited world tour supporting their 2020 EP POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR.
The band brought along three openers to warm up the crowd. The first was screamo-electro artist Siiickbrain who used to live around the corner from Barclays and told the crowd what an honor it was to play such an iconic venue.
Next up was grandson - an alternative artist whose relatable lyrics resonated with the crowd as he performed songs including “6:00,” “Despicable,” “Oh No,” and “Stick Up.”
The night took a quick turn as hardcore band Knocked Loose took the stage and a mosh pit immediately opened up in the crowd. The Kentucky band (comprised of vocalist Bryan Garris, lead guitarist Isaac Hale, rhythm guitarist Cole Crutchfield, bassist Kevin Otten, and drummer Kevin Kaine) kept the pit going while they performed tracks including “Where Light Divides the Holler,” “Deadringer,” and “Permanent.”
BMTH was ready for a stadium performance with multiple risers on stage and a giant LED screen backing the band. With a setlist of 15 songs, the band started with fan-favorites “Can You Feel My Heart” and “Happy Song” as well as “Teardrops” and “MANTRA.” More circle pits erupted in the crowd as fans danced, sang, and moshed along to “Parasite Eve,” “Shadow Moses,” and “Kingslayer.” The band continued their set with “DiE4u” before adding in a track not on their original setlist after multiple fans requested the song on Twitter - the song was “Sleepwalking” and the band had not performed it live for five years and apologized for any mistakes that were made. BMTH finished their set with “Drown” before leaving the stage and reappearing for their encore of “Obey,” an acoustic version of “Follow You,” and “Throne.”
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Stereolab @ Riviera Theater- Chicago
September 29th 2022: Stereolab @ Riviera Theater - Chicago, IL
Stereolab - Photos & Coverage Courtesy of Timi Ikene
Stereolab, led by French singer Laetitia Sadier, performed for a nearly sold-out audience at the Riviera Theater on September 29th. Their mesmerizing vocals and rhythms uplifted the audience to a near euphoric state as we all swayed in time to the music. The show's pacing and relaxed energy were a perfect fit for the set, venue, and audience, and should they return to Chicago, I will be in attendance.
Amyl and the Sniffers @ The Vic - Chicago
September 28th 2022: Amyl and the Sniffers @ The Vic - Chicago, IL
Amyl and the Sniffers. - Photos & Coverage Courtesy of Timi Ikene
Amyl and the Sniffers, hailing from Australia, burst out onto the stage with extremely high energies throughout their punchy performance. Front-woman Amy Taylor commanded the audience and the pit in a way that captivated even those who were novice fans! There wasn't a point during the show where they let up on their sound, and it was infectious.
Joywave @ House of Blues - Dallas
September 18th 2022: Joywave @ House of Blues: Dallas, TX
Paul Brenner of Joywave - Photos and Review Courtesy of: Haidyn McKenzie
If you have never seen Joywave live, I highly recommend you go and see them next time they are in your town. With crisp, colorful visuals and a great setlist, the show was captivating and could make anyone a fan. The show takes you through the carwash based on their newest album, Cleanse. A few songs progressing into the setlist take you through different parts of the car wash by using colorful and highly pleasing visuals. Not only did they make great use of their set, lighting, and visual designs, but they also had a great stage presence that got the crowd asking for more. With each song, the crowd was more excited each time they heard the first few notes. The crowd was definitely overjoyed with the setlist as they played each fan favorite song and ended with an encore of their song, Destruction. Joywave was a great addition to the Welcome To Helvetica Tour also featuring IDK HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME and with Savannah Conley as the opener.
Conan Gray @ The Louisville Palace - Louisville
September 16th 2022: Conan Gray with Kacy Hill at The Louisville Palace - Louisville, KY
Conan Gray - Photos and Coverage Courtesy of: Emily May
There is something so endearing about seeing hundreds of teenagers and young adults (with a few older adults mixed in) who are so excited about a show that they are radiating pure joy and happiness. This was the case on September 16th when pop singer and songwriter Conan Gray brought his current Superache tour to Louisville, with this being the first night of the tour! And what a welcome Louisville gave him, with tickets selling out the day they went on sale! The line to get into the venue this evening stretched for what seemed like miles in both directions, and while The Louisville Palace is a seated venue, the fans were eager to get in as soon as possible to get in line to buy merch! With glittery makeup, feathered boas, and plenty of rose-adorned items of clothing and/or hair accessories, everyone was ready to have some fun! Starting out the evening was LA-based singer, songwriter, and producer Kacy Hill. With songs that mesh the sounds of indie pop, dream pop, and electronica, she quickly had the crowd cheering and singing along! Having released her first single in 2014, she later released 3 albums, the most recent being 2021’s Simple, Sweet, and Smiling. She was all smiles this evening, singing a nice selection of songs and thanking everyone for being there this evening and to Conan Gray for bringing her out on tour. At one point she told the audience “You all are so sweet! I’m getting emotional!”. With a sweet and charming personality, she performed her songs with such sincerity that the crowd couldn’t help but connect with her. It was a beautiful opening to the evening!
Next up was Conan Gray. With the stage set up with a platform at the back and a set of stairs going down the middle to the stage, he started out his set coming out onto the platform and singing his heart out for his fans who were screaming with excitement. Starting his set with “Disaster” from his latest album Superache, which was released in June of this year, he sang many songs off of the new album, including “People Watching”, “Jigsaw”, and “Astronomy”. He also performed 3 live debuts- “The Exit”, “Best Friend”, and “Movies”. It’s really special when you can see the fans deeply connecting to the music, and every time I looked out into the crowd, every person was singing along to every single word and you could see on their faces how much each song meant to them. Friends were hugging each other as they sang, and many looked to be on the verge of tears. Conan seemed just as elated to be on stage and singing for everyone, telling the crowd “It’s so good to be here! I’ve missed you guys! Thank you for coming out to the first night of my Superache Tour!”. He then, with a bit of humor, told the crowd how he had written the album during the most boring time of his life. He did periodic “wellness checks” on the crowd, asking “Are ya’ll taking care of yourselves? Are you staying hydrated?” and on a couple of occasions grabbed a fan’s cellphone and took selfies and videos of him singing before handing it back.
He was in high spirits this evening, joking with the crowd as he walked up the stairs to not look at his butt. He chatted between most songs this evening, giving the stories behind many of his songs. A really lovely moment was before he sang “Family Line” and got vulnerable with his fans. “This next song is one of my favorites, but one I was terrified to put out. I spent 2 years writing it and its subject matter is something I’m still going through and figuring out. I had a rough childhood and think that when you are a kid, it feels like your life will always be the same and that you will always be stuck in that situation. I was told I would never be anything and I believed it and have spent a lot of my life running from my past and from everything that scared me. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that my past doesn’t define me. I wrote this song to tell you that you are not defined by your past, by the mistakes you’ve made, or who your parents tell you that you are.” Ending his set with “Heather” and “Maniac”, he then gave the crowd a one-song encore, singing “Memories”. It was a really beautiful and memorable night of music that his fans won’t soon forget!
Conan Gray
Kacy Hill
