Hello from Randall’s Island! We’re excited to bring you daily recaps from this year’s Governors Ball. Staff writer Jason Crouse is on the ground taking some awesome photos of everything going on. Here are his thoughts on day 2.

Day Two of Gov Ball was heaven compared to the sweatfest that was day one. The clouds were out just enough to be cool without being gloomy, the rain in the forecast disappeared and we stayed dry, and the media tent finally had a reliable supply of free water. In fact, they even provided us with a literal ton of free kombucha and I drank three to reassure myself that I was taking care of my body throughout the strenuous task of covering of the fest.

My day started with Saba, who I last saw at a capped afterHours show at WRBB’s Block Party 2018. A festival was way less intimate than the tiny campus Starbucks but the crowd was so massive and so hype (made up of 98% frat bros frat bro-ing) that it was a truly wild experience. I moved on to miss Kacey Musgraves after Saba, and with Kacey it was apparent that the day was June 1st and Pride Month™ had begun. The crowd was very gay and very emotional and we all screamed yeehaw anthems like “Butterfly” and “Rainbow” together and felt united, and immediately following that empowering moment we migrated as one large pack to see gay icon King Princess. The whole set was sort of a blur because I was just on cloud nine I thought the peak was when KP paused to say, “you all want that big pussy song?” and proceeded to play “Pussy Is God” and everyone just melted, but then when she ended with “Talia” every one of us suddenly embodied a small gay 20 year old girl drunk at a party singing about love and life and I felt….warm.

I took a break to sit in the media tent for an hour and recover from those sets, but ventured back out to get some mozz sticks (shout out to Big Mozz) and head on over to catch the tail end of The 1975’s set. I wasn’t impressed, but then again I have never really enjoyed The 1975 and would love to never have to look at Matty Healy again in my life. I killed time until Florence’s set after debating whether I should stay or not; leaving was a stupid thing to even consider doing. I kept inching closer and closer during her set and could feel myself literally ascending to heaven. In the middle of her set, Florence settled the crowd down and spoke about the state of the US right now, imploring those listening that “if you’re thinking about buying a T-shirt, I would ask that you donate that money to the ACLU.” I was shocked that Gov Ball didn’t cut her set off right on the spot since she basically just threw them a bg ‘fuck you’ but they allowed her to continue anyway. Watching Florence felt like being in the presence of a woodland nymph crossed with a greek goddess and all of us in the crowd felt fully cleansed of all the wrongdoings of our past.

I left after Florence and went home to edit photos and go directly to bed, fully dead.

*WRBB did not attend day 3 due to cancellations and thunder storms.

Gov Ball Day 2: And that’s a wrap

We’re excited to bring you daily recaps from this year’s Gov Ball! Staff writer Jason Crouse will be on the ground on Randall’s Island for the weekend. Here’s what he’s most excited for.

Co-oping in New York has been a constant stream of new experiences; attending Governors Ball for the first time is yet another chance to try something new. I have been to Boston Calling a couple times and Pitchfork once, but neither operates at quite the scale and magnitude as Gov Ball. Gov Ball seems to be a flashy show of food, music, and fashion—like Coachella with fewer movie stars—and the vibe I expect is worlds away from the almost local small-town festival feel I got from BC and P4k over the last few years. Beyond my expectations of the atmosphere as a whole, the music side of things is providing quite some conflicting ideas of what to feel. This year’s lineup is eclectic, to say the least. I never thought I could see such a chaotic blend of throwbacks, fresh talent, nobodies, personal favorites, and randos, but they ‘dun did it. Because of the diversity of this lineup, I couldn’t be more thrilled for the coming weekend. Here’s who I’m most looking forward to seeing:

Brockhampton at Boston Calling 2018. Photo by Jason Crouse for WRBB.

2018 was a tumultuous year for the self-proclaimed `best boy-band since One Direction,` and though it seemed like they were about to meet their end after the dramatic ousting of former member Ameer Vann, the rest of the year brought the release of one of their best albums to date along with an extensive tour across America. The first and only time I have seen Brockhampton was at Boston Calling 2018– their first performance without Vann, and a moment from which they could clearly only go up. Their performance was indescribable in the absolute best way. I managed to carry my uber-expensive camera setup all the way to the fourth row to spray-and-pray, ultimately snapping my favorite photos I have ever shot and marking one of the most thrilling moments in my years as a concert photographer. A year later with even more music released and plenty of practice performing as a smaller group, I can’t even begin to imagine the show BROCKHAMPTON has in store for this year’s Governors Ball.

Mitski is one of those artists who expresses the simplest feelings in such an eloquent way that makes you just say “damn…..I felt that.” I have seen her five times, in settings ranging from huge festivals to intimate sub-100 capacity venues, and given that history along with no new music having been released in almost a year I don’t really expect this show to be much of a groundbreaking experience for me. Regardless, every Mitski show is something of an emotional journey, and I fully expect to half-bawl, half-sing for her entire performance as I try to capture a few decent shots.

Saba at WRBB’s Block Party. Photo by Ingrid Angulo for WRBB.

WRBB booked SABA for Block Party 2018 which capped afterHours (something I have surprisingly never seen happen) and was one of the most Hype moments I have experienced at Northeastern.Everyone and their mothers seemed to suddenly know who Saba was a few months later when he performed a set for NPR’s Tiny Desk and joined almost every summer festival’s lineup. I’m interested to see how his show comes through at a larger scale now that I am actually fairly familiar with his content.

King Princess is one of the new artists I have been most excited and enthralled by in the last year or so. The music scene– especially the Pop and Indie-Pop scenes– need so many more queer artists to tell their stories and bring often-silenced voices to the public eye. Every time a new queer artist breaks into the spotlight it feels as if media and consumers look at them expecting them to be The One And Only Voice Of Queerness. King Princess has never let this set her back. She has released a bunch of impeccable tracks over the last year providing some valuable personal insight into queer experiences with love and life, and has handled the inherent pressure that comes with being a representative of an underrepresented group with eloquence and grace. Sometimes I feel like I’ve wasted my time when I see new artists thriving who are my age or even younger, but quickly I’m reminded that it really isn’t that deep and I go right back to lifting up and supporting those artists so they can speak for me as well.

My ex introduced me to Cautious Clay in the latter half of last year. 2018’s 

was often present on my Spotify during and after that relationship, accompanying my fluctuating emotions during times peppered with intimacy and frustration and confusion and bliss, all tied together with a funky back-beat that stuck with me for a while. It was a warm and soothing album, though I forgot about the EP for a minute while I was bombarded with other new releases that kept my attention elsewhere. I was reeled right back in when 

 was released at the beginning of 2019. Clay’s buttery smooth voice has a way of making me feel some type of way, and it will be intriguing to see how a voice suited so well for an intimate cabaret translates to the empty grandeur of a festival stage.

was the main driving force that got me through my deathly sickness era in my Sophomore year at Northeastern. I don’t have many strong memories from that time, but I have vivid recollections of walking to class with SZA’s silky smooth vocals singing to me about love and loss and dedication. For someone who had never been in a relationship and whose greatest struggle was the Mononucleosis he was in the midst of fighting, her emotions resonated with me anyway. As I gained new experiences and grew and hurt and healed over the subsequent months, her feelings expressed in that album came to mean even more to me and I am ready to sit and contemplate my life and maybe shed a single tear while Mama SZA sings right to me.

The. Fucking. Strokes. My only thoughts about seeing The Strokes revolve fully around my earlys 2010s identity as a Tumblr band fandom kid, and for a long time I truly thought The Strokes were basically equivalent to the Smiths– a pre-2000s band that broke up long before I even knew what music was and who I would never see. I was a little naive and uneducated though, and I don’t think I ever listened to their entire discography despite what I would like to claim I have listened to. I wish Julian Casablancas would take a shower, but unless the festival gets rained out during their set I don’t have much of a chance at making that happen. Regardless, The Strokes are legendary and I am thrilled to add them to my concert archive.

WRBB x Gov Ball 2019 Preview

I hadn’t listened to The Internet prior to this past summer when I attended Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. They released their latest album 

 on the first day of the festival, and it was all anyone could talk about. I gave it a listen and was hooked almost immediately. A few of us from WRBB tried to go to an album release show for the record that evening, but it never happened. So when I saw their tour announcement for Boston, I absolutely had to go. The actual night of the show, I was sick and tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep. Regardless, I was urged to go to the show and I am immensely thankful that I eventually caved and journeyed to Allston.

Paradise is known for having a ridiculously long and slow-moving line, and by the time I finally got inside the opener, Moonchild, had only a couple of songs left. In the short time I had to see them I think I decided they were……fine? I guess? They were jazzy and hip, but I wasn’t into it that much. They definitely weren’t 

, they just had a hotel lobby vibe that I didn’t quite dig. Regardless, The Internet came on very soon after they finished, and let me just say: wow. Some albums sound the same when brought to a live performance, and many have an unfortunate decline in quality when performed. 

, on the other hand, seems to be an album meant especially for performance — the riffs and runs and groovy bass lines that are peppered throughout the record fall flat on the digital recording when compared to the live experience of the same songs.

Syd’s smooth silky vocals paired with the band’s impeccable instrumentation blew my mind, and I immediately thanked those who pushed me to show up to this gig for their persistence. They brought out hits from 

 like ‘Come Together’ and ‘Burbank Funk,’ and at one point they even brought out a fan to sing on stage with them (a backstory I would really love to know about). The recent hits got the crowd grooving, but throwbacks from their previous album 

 were even more pleasing, especially when Syd dedicated ‘Just Sayin/I Tried’ to a former love interest and then rocked the house with repeated choruses of “You. Fucked. Up.” Everyone in the building yelled along with those words, and it was a wild moment of solidarity in which all of us had some anger to get out, and then we went back to smooth grooving. Ultimately, this was one of the most talented live acts I have seen and I feel grateful to have gotten the chance to see them before they hit much bigger venues, which they without a doubt will inevitably do. Much like how their technological namesake already has, The Internet will someday take over the world.

The Internet brings nonstop funk to Paradise Rock Club

(Sandy) Alex G can shred a guitar, but he can also masterfully meld together chords on a piano with a voice and style ranging from wailing ballads about love to screaming at the top of his lungs like a pop-punk vocalist.

Sporting shiny new clip-on dalmatian earrings, Northeastern sweetheart Sidney Gish and her trusty loop pedal charmed the entire crowd of indie-heads at Paradise Rock Club in November. She led her set with tongue-twister musings on life and relationships and gave soft-spoken explanations on the various locations where her music can be found. Though this was a (Sandy) Alex G show first and foremost, Gish’s addition as support definitely helped fill the already packed room. While any random indie-head would easily be found at an Alex G show, this particular gig was evidence of Gish’s expanding popularity throughout Boston – because a crazy high percentage of the crowd was clearly here for her.

Sidney Gish. Photo by Ingrid Angulo for WRBB.

in the room knew every word– or at least the tune–to all of the tracks Gish brought out. A raucous chorus of “two-faced bitches never lie, and therefore I never lie” filled the room when Gish performed ‘Sin Triangle;’ a powerful indicator that Sidney can only go up from here. She’s reached the point of Peak Boston Indie Popularity, and will soon take over the world.

Half Waif seemed beyond thrilled to be returning for a performance in her home state of Massachusetts. She spent most of her set weaving groovy vibey tunes alone with only her keyboards and laptop and didn’t interact with the audience very much. This was a reasonable thing to do, but being sandwiched between two super social and outgoing artists, it made her set feel more like an intermission than an actual distinct set. However, her talent was apparent, and I was impressed by the skill she exuded through her warm silky vocals and her fingers fluttering across the keyboard. Her laptop seemed to think she was too intense though, as it came flying down off her set-up in the middle of the set, but she carried on and powered through. A note stuck to her keyboard read “I’m proud of you,” which was a sentiment I felt in that moment as well. She tried her best and kept going when things fucked up, and I was proud of that resilience.

Half Waif. Photo by Ingrid Angulo for WRBB.

(Sandy) Alex G is an obvious representation of the message championed by the twitter account 

. He can shred a guitar, but he can also masterfully meld together chords on a piano with a voice and style ranging from wailing ballads about love to screaming at the top of his lungs like a pop-punk vocalist. In short, “(sandy) alex g (fucks).” He really loves screaming, and at Paradise, he enjoyed yelling “fuck you” to the audience members asking him to play ‘Wonderwall.’ He did give them a little taste of the wall though, for maybe 20 seconds before he forgot the words. During ‘Bobby,’ G brought out the pieces necessary to perform the song just as it is on 

a violinist accompanied the performance with some smooth fiddle, and Half Waif returned to the stage to harmonize on vocals. The audience’s yees were thoroughly hawed, and then he went right back to screaming. ‘Brick’ was a work of chaotic dissonant art as always, though the crowd at Paradise was interesting as it was a lot more representative of the intended audience for that track than the people in afterHours or at Pitchfork fest. People were moshing and bras were flying, but I don’t think anyone got kicked in the face (It’ll happen one day). G ended his set with ‘Sarah,’ for which the entire crowd was belting their feelings, and afterwards, he took song requests from the crowd for his encore. The front of the crowd was clearly full of old fans because they requested some throwbacks and deep cuts. After it all ended, fans left the show satiated and full of warmth. I topped off the night with some Cane’s fries and retired to my apartment with my emotions soaring.

(Sandy) Alex G, Sidney Gish and Half Waif make fans go wild at Paradise Rock Club

I’ve seen Mitski five times. Every show has been a different experience— one was at a festival, one in a tiny theater in Providence, one opening for Lorde, one at Wellesley College, and now this time at the House of Blues. The difference in her production between the various places I have seen her have made each show extremely unique, since a small solo acoustic show at a women’s college is a completely different vibe than a full-band show in Boston’s biggest arena, though the difference in experiences through the lens of my emotional state at each show is more intriguing. Mitski shows when you’re already happy seem fun and not as impactful. Mitski shows that you attend a few days post-breakup seem to be curated for that exact emotional state.

I forgot to listen to Overcoats until I was walking to Fenway for the show, but I clearly could have trusted Mitski’s decision for her opener. I was extremely surprised (in a good way) and totally impressed with them. They were a catchy, fun, energetic, and powerful girl group. I was in a dull mood when I got to the show, but they raised everyone’s spirits with a care-free upbeat dance party— a perfect setup for the emotional soul-crushing realizations yet to come when Mitski took the stage. For an opener I had never heard before, they were absolutely a 10/10 and I plan on keeping up with their future endeavors.

Mitski, Mitski, Mitski. At this point in her career she has mastered the theatrics of her vocals, though beginning with her summer tour (where NU legend Sidney Gish opened!) she began experimenting with new ideas. Most notable are her interpretive dance-esque moves that she performed during her songs. For ‘Francis Forever,’ she paced back and forth frantically. At one point she brought out moves reminiscent of The Robot, and at another she even brought a chair to flail around on. The first time I saw this new addition, I really wasn’t sure how I felt. After this show, however, I’m sure that I find her dancing uncomfortable and odd, but at the same time it gives her shows a more ~Mitski~ vibe. Everything about the show is meticulously calculated in a way that is impressive and intriguing yet at the same time just weird enough to be distinctly 

. She has built a sort of cult following already, to the point where nobody actually cares if she just writhes around on stage or does the robot for 5 minutes straight— they will stan regardless. The dancing was hardly a distraction from the show overall, and I was sucked right in anyway. She performed the same set as her August show, though it was a completely different vibe– both because the crowd was 50x bigger, and because her newest album has since been released so the audience could sing along to every word. Personally, I was singing and dancing and letting out all my worries. Then, she sang ‘Nobody.’

‘Nobody,’ released in June as the second single from her latest album, was on repeat in my apartment for 

 the entire summer. It has an upbeat happy sound, though the actual message expressed in the lyrics is one of exasperation and exhaustion with the trials and tribulations of love and relationships. I’ve found that in my happier days, ‘Nobody’ is just a fun song to bop to, but recently it became a relatable anthem for my own experiences. The direct aftermath of a breakup feels a lot like what Mitski experiences in this song— It feels like the world is against you and that nobody will ever truly want you, and though I can recognize a couple weeks later that life actually goes on and things will improve, you can bet your ass that in that moment when Mitski performed ‘Nobody,’ I let all my ugly-crying feelings out. Being able to scream along with the person who wrote a song that perfectly details your emotions, releasing all the pent-up feelings you have, is wildly cathartic and absolutely the best way to recover. I had to leave before the encore so ‘Nobody’ was one of the last songs I was present for, and I left feeling warm, happy, and drained in a nice way.

Before this show, Mitski was just a powerful emo sadgirl queen. In this instance she was all that in a way that I came to appreciate way way more. Her actual show was nothing new compared to the ones I had previously been to, but experiencing these songs in the heartbroken mindset they seemed designed for cemented Mitski’s place in my mind as an absolute legend. If anyone knows anything about the pain that happens with love gone awry, it is Mitski.

Mitski lets it all out at the House of Blues

August 12, 2018 at Columbus Theatre, Providence

Mitski + Sidney Gish @ Columbus Theatre (PHOTOS)

July 28, 2018 at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

Setlists can make or break a concert. I ventured all the way out to the Seaport to see Sylvan Esso (with Local Natives opening) and was suuuuper impressed with the show overall, though both groups’ set choices got me thinking about the process of curating a setlist.

Local Natives are easily one of the most recognizable alternative bands from the last few years. Most people would know their song ‘Wide Eyes’ (which, quite honestly, was the only song I actually knew well enough to sing along to) and the crowd went 

 when they played it. Their performance as a whole was lively and interesting, and I loved every minute of it, but I couldn’t help but to question their song order. Local Natives made the decision to play ‘Wide Eyes’ as the third track in their hour-and-fifteen-minute set, though I expected it to be way later in the lineup since it’s their most famous tune. I can see the logic behind their placement, however, since playing more popular tunes early in the set helps hook people sooner so they are interested for more of the set, while waiting until later on to play the popular ones means there is less of a chance of people tuning the rest of the show out once they hear that ~one song~. There’s a fine balance between hooking people early and keeping the anticipation building, and I honestly thought Local Natives could have made some different choices. Some transitions and sequences weren’t great, and they faked out the audience multiple times by making it seem as if their set was about to end – bringing out a loud and upbeat song with a big finish but then continuing on with slower tunes right after. I enjoyed their set regardless, and was thrilled for Sylvan Esso to perform and hopefully make better set choices.

Sylvan Esso truly lives up to the hype every time I see them. I am always mesmerized watching each track be composed and compiled in real-time while singer Amelia Meath serenades the audience with a calm and soothing siren’s song. Sylvan Esso’s tunes are upbeat and electro-poppy enough to keep people moving and dancing, but still unique and interesting enough to give them a sound all their own that lets you know that this, in fact, is definitely Sylvan Esso. They started in North Carolina which, as anyone I have spoken to for more than five minutes is aware, is where I am also from, and that fact earns them a special place in my heart. Their set was exciting and just plain fun. I had a blast, though I had a few thoughts on their setlist choices as well throughout the night. Most of the lineup was well-planned, with a nice mix of tempos and moods interspersed. They started the evening with ‘Sound,’ the opening track to their sophomore album that is the perfect beginning to a set. They played ‘Coffee,’ the lead single from their debut album, in the middle of the set but it was clear they were leaving ‘Radio,’ from the aforementioned sophomore album, until closer to the end (if not the very end). I expected ‘Radio’ to come absolutely last in the pseudo-encore so many bands do these days, and when they ended their main set with it I figured they may be avoiding the whole “we’re-leaving-the-stage-but-it’s-not-really-over-because-we-planned-an-encore” charade that everyone does.

I started leaving towards the end of ‘Radio’ anyway to avoid having to leave the Seaport on an already poorly-functioning Silver Line with a million other people, though watched from the back of the venue as they came back out to do an encore after all. They played two calm and slow songs to close out the evening, and though I would have expected them to end it on an upbeat note, they at least ended on a musically solid moment. I like that they took time to slow things down and settle for a bit, but that is something I thought would have fit in the middle of the set as a small break rather than to end the entire set. Or maybe that is just their genius and they wanted to go against what we would expect and desire on purpose. I trust Sylvan Esso, and think they did what they knew was best anyway and I love them ok the end yeehaw.

Sylvan Esso @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

Finding out that you were approved for press for one of your favorite artists on the day of the show is absolutely the best feeling during a slow day at co-op. I don’t really remember what happened at work after that point because I was riding that high, and wow oh wow I had a loooooot to look forward to. My experience was interesting from the moment I showed up at the House of Blues when the box office handed me a ticket with my photo pass. I was expecting to have only a photo pass and had already paid for a ticket, so I scrambled at the absolute last minute to sell it on every Facebook page I could think of. Nobody bought it (though one person led me on for an HOUR) and in the end I sent a screenshot of the ticket to a pal and said, “If you want a free ticket to Passion Pit, come here right now.” He came!

Overall, I wasn’t impressed with the opener, Slenderbodies. The only thing that truly stood out from their performance was a rendition of ‘Electric Feel’ by MGMT that was extremely unexpected but honestly went really hard. I don’t mean to imply that the rest of the performance was 

, but I just wasn’t a big fan of it. They definitely had a certain audience that would enjoy their music more, but it was hard for me to get into and I just sort of swayed and played around with my camera. Their stage presence was fun to observe from the photo pit, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting them despite the typical poor lighting that HoB has for openers.

Nobody at the House of Blues seemed to know when Passion Pit was supposed to come on, but after being faked out multiple times Michael Angelakos eventually bounced out on stage and we couldn’t contain our excitement. I hadn’t seen Passion Pit since 2015, and even then I was on the lawn at a huge amphitheater, which wasn’t a great experience, so I was overjoyed. The first three songs of the set flew by way too quickly but I managed to take quite possibly my favorite photos of my photo career! Shooting Passion PIt was such a joy because of Angelakos’ high energy and enthusiasm, and I ended up with an elusive ~jump shot~ to stick in my portfolio.

After shooting, I got to chill out in my favorite balcony spot for photographers and danced and sang and had a blast. Passion Pit has been in the back of my mind for the last couple of years, and until this show I really forgot how much I love them. I danced and sang to ‘Sleepyhead’ while I was shooting, and ‘Take A Walk’ was the closer of the encore and by far the highlight of the show. The band brought back tunes from their earliest EPs and managed to cover their bases and play songs off every album, and there was really something for anyone who knew even a modicum of their music. If anyone in that totally packed and sold out room didn’t already love Passion Pit before the show, they 100% loved them afterwards.

The moral of this review is as follows: if you are ever given an opportunity to see Passion Pit, do it. There’s a reason they have attained an immense following over the years, and their talent and dedication comes through clearly in their live performances. I will definitely be at their next tour, and the next one, and even the next one.

Passion Pit @ House of Blues

2017 seems to have been the year that folk music became my brand, and this new release from fellow NC native Charles Walker just furthers that claim. He is no newcomer to creating and performing music, having spent many of his teenage years writing and performing under different titles across various projects, but Walker’s debut EP 

 under this new project sets this endeavor apart with a new sound all its own.

As an exploration into the direction of folk and self-described “alt-country” music, twangy plucked strings and the occasional bowed string resonate throughout the record. These elements remind listeners of Walker’s North Carolina roots while also allowing him to showcase his talent in both composition and musicality. The voices of a myriad of instruments and vocalists blend together with incredible amounts of grace and nuance, and the harmonies are complex yet come together effortlessly. Having spent the last month and a half listening to 

 by (Sandy) Alex G on repeat, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the two as I listened to 

. The track ‘Sober I Love You’ felt like the strongest connection between the two albums, and was actually confirmed to be influenced by G’s tune, ‘Bobby.’

Though this record makes it evident that he can create a solid folk tune, it also showcases Walker’s versatility and ability to experiment with elements that are unexpected in this genre. A surprising and interesting moment in 

 was the beginning of ‘Detox,’ where auto-tuned a cappella voices melt together as if T-Pain were a member of Pentatonix before a guitar accompaniment is added, which then transitions into an angsty southern sadboi’s lament. The levels of emotion in this particular track brought me back to Julien Baker’s 

, another 2017 release with a clear influence. Much like Baker’s album, this record expresses a deep, heavily personal self-analysis and feels like it would be most enjoyed live in a tiny intimate venue like a house show or coffee shop.

Despite noticeable influences from other releases of the year, 

 manages to create a sound all its own and carve out a space allowing it to stand out as a striking and notable record that truly deserves a listen. Keep an eye out for what Charles Walker will accomplish in the future and be sure to watch for tour dates near you, because his musical talent extends far beyond just his recorded music.

 here:
<a href="http://charleswalker.bandcamp.com/album/whole-again">Whole Again by Charles Walker</a>


Charles Walker releases EP ‘Whole Again’

The first thing to come to mind when I hear “Joywave” is the memorable face of Daniel Armbruster, referred to by me only as “Mustache Man” for as long as I can remember (until I finally looked up his real name five minutes ago). I knew very little about Joywave as a whole going into this show, having only heard their song ‘Dangerous’ when it made the rounds on Top 40 radio a few summers ago, so I didn’t know what to expect. Since the MBTA proved to still be the slowest form of transportation in Boston, I missed out on seeing first opener, The Demos. Regardless, Joywave and their second opener, The Aces, were still a blast.

Like any somewhat decent music writer, I took very meaningful and detailed notes during the show. The most notable from The Aces’ set said that they seemed like “the kind of girls who will go to brunch with their grandmothers and then get revenge on a shitty ex afterwards.” I think what I was trying to verbalize in that moment is that The Aces were a badass four-piece girl band with a kind exterior. Much of their music was poppy and fun, but then they could also shred like crazy and pulled out a pretty good cover of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ in the middle of their set. I danced, sang, and was pleasantly surprised by their talent and overall back-and-forth with the crowd. There were no doubts in my mind after their set that girl bands are the future. I would absolutely see them again, hopefully in a venue with better lighting that would allow for better quality photos.

I have certainly never been to a show where the between-set music was comprised solely of slowed down Black Eyed Peas and ’90s rock songs with the instruments removed, and I don’t think I have ever seen a band use old CRT computer monitors displaying Windows 98 graphics as a backdrop for their performance. I guess that shocking novelty is the point of Joywave. If I had to summarize my gatherings on this band in one sentence, I would say that Joywave thrives on being weird and different, but in a cool way. Some of their music seemed to fit into the box of indie pop, but other songs seemed to span a variety of genres with their glitchy electronic noise and guitar and synth riffs comprising a sound all their own. I couldn’t stop thinking throughout the set that Mustache Man exuded the weirdest vibe, but damn, the boy has pipes. His range and vocal ability stood out to me and made the show a better experience overall. I wasn’t the only one having a great time though, because the entire crowd was going wild for an hour straight. Now that’s what I call stamina.

Joywave @ Brighton Music Hall

I don’t typically expect to learn life lessons when I attend concerts, but Dan Croll’s show at the Sinclair taught be a huge one: never go to a show when you have mono. Just don’t do it. You will almost pass out and die and it’s not worth it. Well, it may may be worth it to be able to see Dan Croll.

I rolled up to the venue 5 minutes before show time, passing Dan in the street on the way (I was a little shocked), and managed to snag a second row spot behind a couple that was way too handsy for my liking. Regardless, I had to be thankful for the spot I acquired since I was shooting and there was no photo pit. The openers, 

, stumbled onto the stage at 8pm sharp and started playing, but I wasn’t there for it at all. I’m sure all bands have a certain audience that appreciates their music, but this band was not for me. I found myself confused as to what genre I was supposed to be listening to, and half of the time I couldn’t even tell when a song ended, because it felt like the band had never taken a music theory course in their lives. You don’t have to know what a secondary dominant is, or why a 1-4-5-1 progression is the most boring thing to ever write, but I think it’s fair to expect a band to use more than two chords in a song and maybe throw in an authentic cadence of sorts to show that the song is actually over. Like, one time in your set. Just for fun. Their set concluded eventually and I was glad because I haven’t disliked an opener this much in quite a while.

This is the point where I almost passed out! I’m very thankful for The Sinclair’s water cooler for keeping me alive since I was surely dehydrated and also needed to get out of the crowd for a minute. If you have mono, don’t push yourself. Going to shows may be tempting when you really like the main act, but please just don’t do it. 2017 is the year of self-care.

After I survived my near death experience (likely provoked by the horror of the opener), Dan Croll popped up on stage and started singing tunes from his new album. Boy, does that man sing like an angel. I haven’t listened to his new album nearly as much as I should have, so I had a lot of chances to shoot and focus on photography, which was a treat for me. When Dan chose to bring back a few bops from his first album, however, I was overjoyed. I don’t remember when I first started listening to Dan Croll, but I remember hearing ‘From Nowhere’ on a Spotify playlist a few years ago and ended up listening to his album 

 on repeat for a few months straight. This man, who somehow isn’t immensely famous, was able to create a beautifully crafted album that spans multiple musical styles and never has a dull moment, and that was impressive for me as an early music fan. I forgot about Dan for a while until I heard about his last Boston show at Paradise, and he was brought right back to the top of my Spotify playlists. His new album was on repeat for a day leading up to the show, and I plan on listening to it even more in the future because this guy has a lot of real talent. I was so ready for this show, and I was that one guy who sang along obnoxiously loud to every song (that I at least knew the words to). I managed to listen and absorb a few of my favorites like ‘Only Ghost’ and ‘Compliment Your Soul,’ though after half of his set, I decided to finally practice some real self-care and leave to go to bed. I hate that I had to miss out on half of his set after I was so excited to be there, but going to a show really isn’t worth dying from mono. It really isn’t. Unless Vampire Weekend came back from hiatus and suddenly went on tour again, but that might just be me.

Dan Croll @ The Sinclair

Lorde’s newest release is unabashedly bright and confident, increasing the tension before her sophomore LP 

I don’t really know what it is about Lorde’s music that makes me feel the things it does, but I’ve been on the edge of my seat for years eagerly waiting for more. After a week of teasers and ominous foreshadowing, the first single from Lorde’s upcoming album 

, Ella Yelich-O’Connor, better known as Lorde, was able to use her music and writing to explain the process of growing and finding oneself through trial & error. “Green Light,” on the other hand, departs from that gloomy uncertainty and, instead, comes from a place of experience and maturity–showing how Lorde has spent the past few years dealing with fame, consequently evolving to be more confident in her place in the world, as well as herself as a person.

Though few of us have gone from a nobody to an international music sensation overnight, Lorde’s ability to give significance to even the most trivial things in her writing gives uncountable opportunities to see that her personal growth is much like our own. So many of her musings reflect on relationships, young-adulthood, and encountering the “real world.” I feel almost as if I have grown up along with Lorde (I mean we are only about a year apart in age) and perhaps that is why I identify so much with her music. I somehow always find myself describing albums with seasons, and while 

 was an album that exuded Winter, the upbeat optimism in “Green Light” is unmistakably Summer.

 maintains this same vibe, I would expect that it will be an album reminiscing on the comfort and self-confidence that come about when one finally finds their purpose and place, and I can’t wait to play it on repeat for the next 60 years.

Lorde announces Melodrama, shares “Green Light”

Just two trains and a bus ride away in a tiny club in Somerville, Boston natives 

 and friends kicked off the Thanksgiving season with a night of tacos, witty banter, deafeningly loud rock music, and a whole lot of glitter. Leading up to the duo were 

, two acts you may have never heard of before who, after this national tour, have definitely received a great deal of the recognition they deserve.

Robin Edwards, better known by the pseudonym Lisa Prank, was first to warm up the crowd. With her upbeat pop tunes that combined tracks played from an iPhone with singing and bright guitar accompaniment, Prank was able to take a seemingly minimalist setup and fill the entire room with a raw, emotional sound. Aided by her charm and positivity, Prank captivated the entire audience and each and every person was doing so much more than the “pity head-bob” that smaller, less well-known openers usually receive from the crowd. Some were dancing, many a dab occurred, and a few lone souls in the crowd even knew her lyrics well enough to sing along. Lisa Prank’s very presence couldn’t help but put a smile on the face of everyone in the room, and her music was thoroughly enjoyable and noteworthy as well.

Following Lisa Prank were Brooklyn natives Bellows, who created a moderate contrast to Lisa Prank as they blended a folky sound with heavy distorted rock vibes to create a fairly unique combination. I wasn’t sure whether I was meant to dance or just calmly sway while Bellows played, because the feel of their performance changed drastically with each successive song, but this unpredictability kept everyone on their toes and actually encouraged me to pay attention more than I already was. Bellows were also able to create rich vocal harmonies that were simple in construction yet sounded full and powerful, they even had me floored for a good minute at their sound. As a whole, this band was impressive as a live act, although their music itself didn’t stand out to me as much as I would have hoped. Their sound was interesting and engaging, though if I were to hear one of their songs prerecorded I likely wouldn’t realize that it was Bellows.

PWR BTTM isn’t the kind of band to show up to a performance unnoticed. Members Liv Bruce, Ben Hopkins, and touring bassist Nicholas Cummings took the stage to raucous applause, sporting their signature iconic fashion — Hopkin’s face was covered in heaps of glitter and each member wore outfits that defied all concepts of a gender binary. Having seen PWR BTTM once already only a month or two ago, I knew that I was going to have a great time for the next hour, though after recent events, it was evident that the mood of this show would be quite different. Not only was the stress and worry surrounding the recent election on the minds of everyone in the room, but the band itself was still recovering from a robbery where their van and all their equipment was stolen (though thanks to a crowdfunding effort, their goal of $16,000 to replace everything was met in just about 24 hours). Much to everyone’s delight, it seemed as if these musician’s spirits were not very easily crushed. Hopkins and Bruce went back and forth with their typical peppy repartee and only occasionally paused to address more serious topics, whether it be the fundraiser being held at the merch table for Standing Rock or their policy of inclusivity, where they reassured the audience that each PWR BTTM show was to be a place of comfort and safety for any and all of their fans.

Along with the banter that went on between songs, Bruce and Hopkins wowed the audience with their incredible musical talent. Despite remarking that they “never really learned to play guitar,” Hopkins’ intricate guitar riffs and solos were nothing short of spectacular. Bruce began the evening on drums, though halfway through the performance the two switched spots to display their proficiency in not one instrument, but two. While some of PWR BTTM’s songs brought back feelings of teenage angst and frustration that make you want to head-bang like nobody’s watching, others evoked common feelings of nostalgia or a yearning for love and romance that is oh-so-relatable for the audience of older teens and young adults. The duo’s spot-on way of capturing the most revealing and basic emotions in the clever complexity of their lyrics and music is likely why so many fans flocked to this show and caused it to be one of the first shows on the tour to totally sell out. Though most of the band’s songs deal with Hopkins’ and Bruce’s own personal experiences with love, sexuality, gender, family, and the world around them, every listener is able to find some sort of connection in the experiences of their own lives. The entire night felt warm and happy, and even a little cathartic, as if everyone in the room was letting out the same frustrations and lifting each other up in the process.

PWR BTTM @ Once Ballroom

Finish Ticket with IRONTOM and Run River North
October 5th, 2016 at Brighton Music Hall
By: Jason Crouse

Just a few months after touring the nation as the opener for Twenty One Pilots’ Blurryface Tour, Finish Ticket embarked on their own headlining tour, paying Allston a visit. With two opening acts preceding the headliner, the buildup to Finish Ticket’s set was long and ended up almost anticlimactic due to the quality of openers greatly exceeding expectations.

IRONTOM, a five-piece band from Los Angeles, took the stage promptly at 8 and drew the audience in with a combination of funky beats and a strange stage presence. The most appealing thing about IRONTOM, though, was the emotion of the lead vocalist Harry Hayes. He felt the music more intensely than anyone I have ever seen. His wacky but wonderful dance moves and facial expressions kept the crowd engaged and entertained for the entirety of the set.

Following IRONTOM was fellow California-based group, Run River North. RRN captivated the audience with their groovy bass-lines and abnormal instrumentation (an alternative band with a violinist always gets me excited). Seldom do I say that an opening act impressed me more than the headliner, but Run River North blew me away. Not only was I shocked by the sheer size of the group (six members is quite large for a band) but I also could tell that everyone on stage had an intense passion for the music they were playing. Every member performed with strength and confidence while having fun at the same time, which kept me dancing around and singing along for the entire set. I was even surprised to find that despite not knowing much of this band beforehand, I knew their song “Run and Hide” from listening to AltNation. The most impressive aspect of their performance overall, however, was the complexity and power of their harmonies. At one point, the six musicians were all playing different instruments while singing their own distinct harmonies. The resulting wall of sound from this intertwining of voices and instruments was stunning. That moment solidified that this was my favorite act of the night.

To close out the night, Finish Ticket was welcomed by wild applause from fans, some of whom had waited since 11AM just to ensure that they would get a spot at the barricade. Their heavy guitar riffs, synth-y keyboard melodies, and catchy vocals kept the crowd bopping around while the band created a sound best described as the intersection of Bad Suns and Walk the Moon. After playing a few original songs, Finish Ticket surprised the audience with a cover of “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” by the Arctic Monkeys. One of the best ways for a small band to impress an audience is to pull off a flawless yet unique and stylistic cover of a more popular band, and Finish Ticket was successful in their endeavor. As a huge Arctic Monkeys fan, this cover was the highlight of the set. Finish Ticket put on a fairly good show, but after being blown away by Run River North, I had high expectations for Finish Ticket, which were just not quite met despite the quality performance they presented.

If you were thinking about seeing Finish Ticket when they come back around, definitely do it — their songs were enjoyable and the show didn’t disappoint. However, when Run River North tours again, I strongly urge everyone to check them out and watch out for the things they have yet to come — there’s a lot of potential in this bunch.