If you weren’t aware, The Black Angels are currently on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Passover. They’re playing the whole album front to back and a second set of favorites and new material. Their recent return to Chicago’s Thalia Hall was a sold-out affair with spooky psych-rockers L.A. Witch opening for them.
I think this kind of lighting follows L.A. Witch wherever they go.
L.A. Witch played a smoky, spooky set of psych-rock mixed with California garage rock and a bit of doom metal. Their drummer, Ellie English, is sharp and puts down heavy krautrock rhythms at times. They also have a cool wall-of-sound vibe to them that washes over you and can induce a hypnotic state.
Same thing with The Black Angels, really.
Passover launched the careers of the Austin, Texas psych-heavyweights, and the album is still powerful in its message of the insanity of war…which is, unfortunately, also still relevant twenty years later with even just the first two tracks: “Young Men Dead” and “The First Vietnam War.”
“Black Grease” has always been a favorite of mine, so it’s a treat to hear it live, and “Manipulation” has grown into one of their best live pieces as Christian Bland and Alex Maas trade lead vocals throughout it and everyone gets trippy with it. After seeing Stephanie Bailey pound her kit during the back-to-back endurance contests of “Empire” and “Better Off Alone,” my guess is that she carb-loads like a triathlete before each show. By the way, she came out on stage on crutches and still rocked the entire set.
After a brief break, they came back with the ever-cool “Bad Vibrations” and then multiple new tracks: “Push It” (not a Salt & Pepa cover), “Daisies,” and “Turkish” among them. Their new album is going to be a stunner if these are any indication of its sound.
The bad vibrations are actually pretty good.
Don’t skip this tour. The new edge to the Passover songs is heavy and sometimes menacing, and the new songs will amaze you.
The numbers get smaller, the concerts get bigger. Here are more of the best shows I attended in the last five years.
#20: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – The Brass Rail – October 08, 2021
FATW always brings the fire, and the small stage in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (a little over an hour drive from my house) could barely contain it. They were still somewhat unknown back then and are rocking major festivals and releasing double-albums by now.
#19: Deap Vally – Thalia Hall – Chicago – February 10, 2024
How could I not see Deap Vally’s final tour, let alone at one of my favorite venues? The duo unleashed a roaring set that left everyone wanting and hoping for more at some future date. Will it happen? No one but Deap Vally knows, but they left us with a great gift if that was the final curtain.
#18: LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago – May 26, 2024
This wasn’t the first time I’d seen LCD Soundsystem, but it was the first time I’d seen them with my fiancé, who’d become a fan of them early in our dating life. Seeing them after a few years of absence and seeing her joyful reaction to their fun, danc beat-filled show was a lovely moment.
#17: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Sleeping Village – Chicago – March 28, 2023
Holy crap. This was the first time Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs played in Chicago and I almost didn’t go to this show. I didn’t decide until a day before it, as I felt like I needed to be there. I’m glad I listened to my gut because this was such a strong set that I was surprised the back wall was still standing by the end. They were a bit surprised by how many showed up to see them and I became a big fan that night.
#16: The Damned – Concord Music Hall, Chicago, IL, June 02, 2024
Here’s another band I wasn’t sure I’d get to see live…enough though I’d seen them before this show. Confused? That’s because The Damned reunited their 1980s lineup that included Paul Gray and Rat Scabies for this tour. This lineup, with Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible, was the lineup of The Damned I’d heard when I discovered them back in high school. They put on a great set that had me smiling and moshing the entire time, and Rat Scabies’ heartfelt reaction to the crowd cheering for him was lovely.
We’re almost halfway through the list? Who lies ahead? Come back tomorrow!
Just like my list of the top 25 albums I reviewed over the last five years, I decided to create a list of the top 25 concerts I attended in the same time. It was a harder list to make, although the top five were fairly easy to choose. Who put on the best shows? Let’s find out.
#25: The The – Salt Shed, Chicago, IL, October 25, 2024
There are many bands on this list that I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see live. The The is one of them. This show included two sets. The first had them playing their newest album, Ensoulment, in its entirety. The second was a “time traveler” set that included all older material, starting with “Infected” and ending with “This Is the Day.”
This was Yin-Yin’s first show ever in the United States, and they won over the entire crowd at Levitation last year. Their blend of funk, Euro-disco, and psych-rock was an instant hit. Everyone on and off the stage had a great time.
#23: Jon Spencer – Stockroom East, South Bend, IN, July 11, 2024
Jon Spencer and his backing band featuring two members of The Bobby Lees played about forty minutes from my house in a tiny venue and in front of maybe fifty people. They completely shredded the place, hitting it as hard as they would a big theatre and leaving many who’d never seen his live show slack-jawed by the end of it.
#22: A Place to Bury Strangers – Empty Bottle – Chicago – May 30, 2022
Any APTBS show is an experience, and this one in my favorite Chicago dive bar was especially wild. They were feeding off the crowd’s energy and crushing everyone and everything in sight. A friend of mine, a bassist for a Chicago death metal band (Aphixiator), was impressed by the power they generated. I think the walls shook for hours afterwards.
#21: Gang of Four – Far Out Lounge – Levitation Austin, November 01, 2024
Here’s another band I wasn’t sure I’d ever see live. Gang of Four showed that they were still powerful, relevant, and sharp. Seeing so many other GOF fans going bonkers with me was a highlight of the Levitation Music Festival that year.
Whew. It’s already heavy and loud. Who makes the top twenty? Come back tomorrow to find out!
Leenalchi (EEE-nal-chi) — the seven-piece Seoul-based band led by bassist Jang Young Gyu — announce their Luaka Bop debut, a new EP entitled Here Comes That Crow, out June 12th, and a North American tour. In conjunction with today’s announcements, they present the video for lead single and title track, “Here Comes That Crow.” The music of Leenalchi is taken from pansori, a traditional Korean style of musical storytelling often compared to opera. Rooted in shamanism and developed during the Joseon Dynasty (17th century), these songs tell epic tales of love, virtue, sorrow, and dragon kings. As if reverberating in our ears from a spiritual plane, the sounds emitting from Leenalchi’s singers are transcendent. Their line-up, as singular as their sound, features two bassists, drums, keys, no guitar, and four singers.
The psychedelic riffs found in Leenalchi’s songs are courtesy of Jang, the band’s enigmatic leader, who looms large in the country’s small but dedicated indie music scene. An NPR Tiny Desk concert of one of his former bands, SsingSsing, racked up 9.9 million views on YouTube and was praised by Tiny Desk founder Bob Boilen as “one of my most memorable Tiny Desk Concerts of all time.” He’s also a prestigious film composer, scoring soundtracks for some of Korea’s most celebrated movies like Train to Busan, The Wailing, and The Good, the Bad, the Weird.
Jang’s work with pansori began in 2007, after composing for choreographer Ahn Eun-me’s piece, Bari. With musicians from that project, Jang went on to form groups such as BIBING, SsingSsing, and eventually Leenalchi.
On “Here Comes That Crow,” as on most Leenalchi songs, Jang wordlessly directs his vision of cross-cultural funk with a collaborative spirit. First comes the rhythm section, developed with drummer Oh Hyung Suk, which sets the foundation for a song, then, singers Park Soo Bum, Ahn Yi Ho, Ra Seo Jin, and Choi Su In draw from the repertoire of pansori songs to discover the most distinctive and fitting sounds.
Adapted from a pansori tale about the Chinese warlord Cao Cao’s most decisive battle, “Here Comes That Crow” is an allegory about life’s precariousness. Ahn, together with his fellow Leenalchi members, wrote a poem to help listeners interpret the song’s meaning:
도용도용은 작은 배가 물위를 떠가는 모양을 그린 말이다. 조조도 조자룡도 쫓기는 자도 쫓는 자도 멈출수는 없다. 판자때기 아래가 저승인데 어느 누가 멈춰 설 수 있겠는가!
Doyung doyung goes the small boat seen floating down the river. Whether the chased or the chaser, no one can stop—just beneath the boards lies the underworld!
As part of their training, pansori singers are required to spend time singing next to a waterfall, tasked to carefully observe and mimic the sonic nuances of water. The Korean language is full of onomatopoeias. The repetition in these words create their own rhythmic unit, each word functioning like a tiny song: Kwal-kwal (콸콸) is the sound of a running stream; gaegul-gaegul (개굴개굴) goes the frog; and mimetic words (a slippery floor is mikkeul-maekkeul (미끌매끌); sol-sol (솔솔) is a kind of gentle and subtle slowness).
The band counts many fellow artists as fans, including Brian Eno, Robyn, Japanese Breakfast, and Merrill Garbus (of Tune-Yards), who studied pansori while part of the group Roomful of Teeth.
This summer, Leenalchi will embark on their first-ever North American tour, making stops in Canada and the West coast, including Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco where they’ll support Japanese Breakfast, and a free show at The Getty in Los Angeles presented by KCRW. Tickets for all dates are on-sale now and available here.
Here Comes That Crow Tracklist: 1. Hihi Haha 2. Bird 3. Here Comes That Crow 4. Let’s Live for Today 5. Look At Me Look At Me 6. Ultimate Prescription
Leenalchi 2026 Tour Dates: Fri. May 29 – Incheon, SK @ Asian Pop Festival @ Paradise City Sun. June 21 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Jazz Thu. June 25 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace Fri. June 26 – Montreal, QC @ Montreal Jazz Festival Sat. June 27 – Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Jazz Festival Sun. June 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Stern Grove Festival (w/ Japanese Breakfast) Wed. July 8 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project (presented by KEXP) Sat. July 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Getty (presented by KCRW) Thu. Nov. 12 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Fri. Nov. 13 – Rotterdam, NL @ Grounds Sun. Nov. 15 – Berlin, DE @ Gretchen Tue. Nov. 17 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust Wed. Nov. 18 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Musikkens Hus Fri. Nov. 20 – Aarhus, DK @ Turkis Sat. Nov. 21 – Groningen, NL @ VERA Tue. Nov. 24 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s Thu. Nov. 26 – London, UK @ Jazz Cafe Fri. Nov. 27 – Bristol, UK @ The Jam Jar Sat. Nov. 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Nov. 29 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
I hadn’t heard of Dutch electro artist Joost Klein until a month ago when I heard him mentioned by a local high schooler. I asked my stepdaughter about him and she almost jumped out of her chair. “I love Joost!” she said and was even more thrilled when we learned he was playing in Chicago. The show was originally scheduled for Thalia Hall, but as you can see from that photo, they realized they needed a lot more space for the 3,000+ who showed up at The Salt Shed.
First on the bill was a DJ of sorts – ipadkid2001. I write “of sorts” because I’m not sure if this chap was a DJ or someone pretending to be a DJ. It might have been an act. The crowd was so jazzed that they screamed when ipadkid2001 just turned on the light above his turntables. He played an odd mix of songs, ranging from drum and bass bangers to The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” Most of these songs weren’t played all the way through. They were usually snippets or perhaps two verses and a chorus. At one point he played vocal samples that stated, “This is my first time DJing. I don’t know what I’m doing.” and “Wow, ipadkid, that transition was terrible.” I was willing to believe the first statement, and the second was accurate. There were so many awkward transitions between tracks that I wasn’t sure if they were intentional or not. Again, was all this a parody? I don’t know, and by the end I don’t think the audience knew.
A DJ set? A clever joke? I’m still not sure.
Klein’s DJ, DJ Chool, played a set that was so short that I wondered why he even bothered. I mentioned this to my stepdaughter, who rightly stated, “He’s just warming up for Joost.” He was both a DJ and a hype man, who was having a blast dancing around the stage for the few moments he had it to himself.
You were going to try cramming all these people into Thalia Hall?
Klein ran out on stage as soon as DJ Chool got back to his decks and the crowd went bonkers as he began with “Ome Robert” (otherwise known as the lovely ballad “Suck My Ditch, Bitch.”).
SMD, bih!
The whole show was as crazy as the opening number. Klein twice told the audience to look out for each other in the crowd and stay hydrated, once stopping before he started a new song so someone could be removed from near the front due to them being overheated.
My stepdaughter was delighted to hear “1,” and the younger folks in the crowd went nuts when he played a version of Crazy Frog’s “Axel F” while this Gen X’er was amused and baffled. I later told my stepdaughter, “I feel like I should know the story of the crazy frog.” Her response was, “It’s an old YouTube video.” I later learned it’s a Swedish animated character from Eurodance.
My stepdaughter: “He’s gonna play 1!”
Other fun highlights were “Tetetetete” – a Spanish song as a salute to Cinco de Mayo, the “We can all relate to this” track “TRAFIK!” (about being stuck in traffic), and the “We can relate even more to this” cut “Capitalism :D” (about both hating and needing work).
The work hamster wheel / toilet paper roll never ends!
“Zonder Jou” and “Europapa” were other big hits for the crowd. It was a fun show, and one that hadn’t been on my radar. Klein was genuinely appreciative of the crowd and response, commenting multiple times on how he was stunned by the number of people who showed up.
Be prepared to dance, and laugh, if you can catch him. It’s a good time.
The final day of the 2026 Austin Psych Fest was the most humid of the three, and easily the most soulful. The festival bumped up all the sets by an hour, presumably to avoid the thunderstorms predicted to roll in around 10pm that night just as the final set was about to end.
As a result, I wasn’t able to get in a disco nap before the festival and trotted my slightly sunburned body to the Far Out Lounge just in time to catch Night Beats play a solid set of psychedelic, fuzzy soul rock. It had been a few years since I’d seen them, and they haven’t lost a step. They still deliver the goods.
Night Beats rocking day beats.
Up next were the funky Dumbo Gets Mad, who had everyone happily dancing in the hot sun without a care. Finding shade is a skill at this festival. You have to claim spots early or rely on the charity of others to squeeze you into a shady space. The occasional breeze elicited happy sighs from the crowds, and it kept hitting at good times during DGM’s set to make dancing all the easier.
No anger here, just fun vibes.
A big crowd had assembled for La Lom, who hit the first note exactly at the start of their set time. The Los Angeles trio played a fun set of instrumental cumbia, rockabilly, and border rock. Everyone was smiling during this set. Couples were dancing and making out. People were cheering their ancestry as La Lom announced the origin of several tracks (“We’re going to play a song from Columbia!”, “This is an old one from Mexico!”).
La Lom shaking hips everywhere.
Trish Toledo was the next artist on the bill, bringing her Latina soul siren vocals to the second stage with her killer backing band. She started with her version of Diana Ross’ “Bad Girls” and proceeded to win and break hearts from there. Everyone was spellbound by the end.
Trish Toledo wrapping everyone around her fingers.
The night, and the festival, ended with the big sounds of Thee Sacred Souls. Much like La Lom and Ms. Toledo’s sets, everyone was buzzing and happy during it. The heat and sun didn’t matter (“It’s like being in a club at 3am,” said lead singer Josh Lane). People all around me were dancing, cheering, smooching, and loving the opportunity to go out with dance grooves to carry them home.
The thunderstorms hit almost an hour later, preventing me from getting to the late night show downtown. That was a bummer, but overall it was a good time and, as always, an excellent blend of genres and bands from all over the map.
And now, my random Festival Awards!
Best set: The Flaming Lips. The sound engineering was top-notch and it was a fun set list. On a personal note, they were one of my late wife’s favorite bands and they played the night before our 29th wedding anniversary, so that was special. I got choked up during “The Golden Path.”
Heaviest set: The Black Angels. Good heavens, the modern versions of the songs from Passover somehow have even more fuzz and weight on them.
Shame on You if You Missed It set: Almost Heaven. They were the second set on the first day and put on a sharp, post-punky / electro-funky set that had a lot of people buzzing by the end of it and wearing their new band shirts over the next two days.
Wildest set: J’cuuzi. Absolutely bonkers and a ton of fun. Crazy costumes, exotic dancers, glam-punk riffs, a spinning chair substituting for a stripper’s pole, and more stuff I’ve forgotten were all crammed into it. They opened the festival and set a high bar for everyone to follow.
Loveliest set: Trish Toledo. This was like a cool breeze refreshing you after a long day. The soul ballads and psychedelic funk sounds were a great addition to the festival. This was another set you’ll kick yourself for missing if you weren’t there.
Sweatiest set: Night Beats. Lead singer and guitarist DannyLee Blackwell’s shirt was soaked enough for him to win a wet t-shirt contest by the end of this. The fuzzy, guitar-roar sounds were sweaty, too. Everyone in the crowd was sweating, at least a bit dehydrated, and yet ready for more by the end.
Happiest set: La Lom. Everyone was dancing and smiling the whole time, including the band. The back-and-forth cheering between La Lom and the crowd reflected how everyone was participating in a big party and not caring about the humidity.
Most Happy to Be There set: New Candys. I didn’t get to see every band at the festival, but of all the ones I did see, the Venetian trio seemed to be the happiest to be there and hanging out with the rowdy crowd and a bit surprised at how many people came to see them.
Trippiest set: Holy Wave. These guys do psych-rock very well and are local favorites. I usually see them in dark venues or at night, but the afternoon sun only seemed to make them sound brighter and dreamier.
Most Shredding in a Set: Ty Segall. There were a few times in his raucous set that he just unloaded a crate full of mega-riffs. How a mosh pit didn’t break out during this is beyond me. It must have been the heat.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Cheyenne Doerr for the press credentials and support.]
I heard the thunder rumbling as I started the walk to the Far Out Lounge for the second day of Austin Psych Fest. I got about three blocks when the rain started. My phone’s weather app said it was just an isolated storm that would soon pass. I put on the raincoat I’d packed and continued walking…
…into a full-on thunderstorm complete with flash flooding and rain hitting so hard that at one point I thought it was hail. I later learned there were funnel clouds in the area at the time. I sloshed my way back to the Air BNB place I was sleeping in for the weekend, wrung out my socks, and waited out the storm for at least another hour before making the trip in the now sunny, jungle-humid afternoon.
APF had been delayed for those two hours due to a couple lightning strikes. As a result, the first four bands of the day – Commercial Breaks, Strange Lot, The Dead Canyon Family Reunion, and Grocery Bag – ended up with canceled sets. Annabelle Chairlegs barely managed to squeeze in their set when the festival finally opened.
So, first on the bill for me was Ty Segall. I hadn’t seen him since the (unknown to everyone at the time) final Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2021. As one photographer in front of me said before the set, “You never know what you’re going to get with Ty.” That’s true. You could get a lot of shredding, acoustic ballads, or even electro-infused dance rock. For APF 2026, Segall and his band brought the rock.
Ty Segall and crew bringing another kind of thunder.
It was a fun set from him, and a ripper of a way to start my festival day. He included at least two new tracks which sound great. The set had a heavy 1970s garage rock sound to it, and I’m surprised mosh pits didn’t erupt throughout it.
Segall’s set was followed by a double-bill of psychedelia. Up first were world travelers Al Qasar who had everyone dancing and grooving with their neat mix of Dutch, Brazilian, Arabic, Jamaican, and several other nations’ sounds. They even ended with a wild reworking of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.”
Al Qasar taking everyone on a trip.
Then, Melody’sEcho Chamber performed to a big crowd who fully embraced their mind-bending sound and light show. I saw a lot of, ahem, blissed-out people during their set having a great time.
Is it a jellyfish? A butterfly? A jellyfly? A butterfish? That edible kicking in?
Many of us zipped over to the smaller stage to catch New Candys’ set. The Italian trio (No longer a quartet?) roared for the whole performance, knocking out heavy riffs, shoegaze fuzz, and slapping beats. “Damn, those guys are really good,” said a guy behind me once they’d finished. He was right.
New Candys with a delicious set.
The day ended with our hosts, The Black Angels, performing their Passover album in its entirety as well as other tracks (including at least one new song). The crowd was packed for them. One group in front of me had some weird fire dance circle going with a couple lighters being waved near the ground. The Black Angels are currently touring to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Passover, so don’t miss them. It’s a good opportunity to hear a lot of deep cuts.
Don’t pass over a Black Angels show! See what I did there?
Up next: Latin psychobilly surf rock, psychedelic cumbia, and a lot of soul!
I hadn’t been to Austin Psych Fest in several years. Mind you, I’d been to Levitation festivals multiple times, and on two continents, but I hadn’t been to APF since the Reverberation Appreciation Society brought it back after “APF” had been changed to “Levitation” and moved to the fall. APF returned to the Far Out Lounge in Austin a few years ago for the RAS’ spring festival, and this was the first chance I had to make the trip.
Austin’s own J’cuuzi were the first band on the bill and the first I wanted to see. They set a high bar to meet for everyone to follow, complete with dancers, t-shirt tosses, a somewhat famous spinning chair, a Capri Sun costume, bubble guns, and so much dance-punk / art-punk / glam-punk / drag-punk / I-don’t-know-what-the-hell-is-happening-punk that you could barely take all of it in during their set and left you feeling a bit post-orgasmic and somewhat baffled afterwards.
L-R: Durs, Gorge Bones, Trey Razeldazl. Oddly enough, this was one of the calmer moments of J’cuuzi’s set.
Next up were another local group, Almost Heaven. The electro-duo were celebrating the release of their first EP, Raw Cranium, and immediately commanded the stage upon the first note. The whole set was bumping, with solid, wicked beats from Jaelyn Valero and vocals from Stefan Barazza that reminded me of everything from The Cramps to Roxy Music.
Almost Heaven getting us pretty close to there, really.
Within moments of their set ending, you heard this loud wall of sound coming from the other direction. That turned out to be shoegaze rockers Glare blasting us with multiple guitars and echoing vocals. It was a change in tone for the festival up to this point, and not a bad one at all. Sometimes you need a ton of reverb and fuzz to keep you going for the coming hours.
Glare blasting us with power.
Not long after that, we dove into psychedelic waters (It is a psych fest, after all.) with Holy Wave. I’ve been a fan for a while, so it was good to see them again after a few years. As usual, they put on a good set of psych-rock that ranged from dreamy to heavy. I bumped into The Black Angels’ Alex Maas later and he described their sound as “like opening a scroll.” Accurate.
Casting spells with Holy Wave.
I needed a break by this point, so it was off to Torchy’s Tacos across the street for some much-needed grilled chicken nachos. They were delicious, as was the Cubs working their way to a win over the Rangers at the time. I got back in time to see a big crowd had gathered for Diiv and their trippy set of shoegaze rock that mixed in weird short films of corporate presentations and public domain footage. It reminded me of Devo’s corporate anthem stuff.
Diiv putting on a board meeting.
The night ended with a fun set from The Flaming Lips. The crowd was happy to have them back and they seemed delighted to be there. Confetti and balloons rained down on us for several songs, with “Turn It On” and “The Golden Path” being big highlights for me, as well as their encore of “War Pigs.” Everyone was exhausted but elated by the end.
A typical day for Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips.
The festival is off to a fun, sweaty start. Up next, more local talent, a guy I haven’t seen live for many years, Italian shoegaze, a twentieth anniversary show, and more!
I got to chat with Dry Cleaning’s drummer, Nick Buxton, a bit at Chicago’s Thalia Hall before their set. He told me they love playing in the U.S. and especially in Chicago. Guitarist Tom Dowse mentioned during their set that the Chicago show was the fastest one to sell out for their current U.S. tour. It was thus an enthusiastic crowd for them.
First up were post-punkers YHWH Nailgun. At least, I think they’re post-punkers. They’re difficult to describe and also fascinating to watch. Sparse guitar arrangements from Saguiv Rosenstock that sound like synthesizers, synthesizers from Jack Tobias that sound like bass, acoustic drums from Sam Pickard that sound electric, and vocals from Zack Borzone that sound like chants and sometimes beatboxing. Their set was frenetic, weird, and had everyone intrigued for the entire half-hour they played.
Tobias at far right making a bold choice to wear a Detroit Lions jacket in Bears territory.
Dry Cleaning came out to a loud welcome and got down to business with “Sliced by a Fingernail” and the whole band sounded great from the start. “Blood” was the first song they played from their newest album, Secret Love, and they ended up playing the entire record interspersed with some of their (by now) classics.
The eye of Florence Shaw gazes upon us.
“Gary Ashby” was the first of those other tracks, and I’m surprised that fans aren’t showing up in turtle costumes to Dry Cleaning shows by this point. The song is a fan-favorite and is about a lost turtle, after all. The place went nuts for “Scratchcard Lanyard.” “Don’t Press Me” was a solid cut from Secret Love that had everyone agreeing with Florence Shaw.
Lewis Maynard was practically throwing down metal riffs by this point, and Buxton’s drumming was top-notch for the whole set. My favorite part of the show was their stretched-out, psyched-out version of “Conversation” (all the way back to their first EP – Sweet Princess) that ended the main set. It was great to hear them trying a new spin on it.
They closed the show with the funky “Hit My Head All Day,” which had the whole crowd grooving. It’s easy to overlook how good this band is at times, as it’s easy (and fun) to get lost in the stories and mysteries of Shaw’s lyrics. Hearing them live gives you a new appreciation for them. Get your tickets before their next show sells out.
Keep your mind open.
Thanks to the kind gent who let me snap a photograph of this.
Leeds quartet Yard Act announce a summer North American tour including stops throughout the West Coast, East Coast and Canada. This marks the band’s first North American run since 2024. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 24th at 10am local time and will be available here. Yard Act will also make several festival appearances across Europe in June and embark on an extensive UK and EU tour in the fall.
Since 2020, Yard Act – frontman and vocalist James Smith, bassist Ryan Needham, guitarist Sam Shjipstone, and drummer Jay Russell – have become one of the great indie success stories of the decade so far. They’ve ticked off milestones ranging from a number two UK chart placement and Mercury Prize nomination for The Overload, to a co-sign from Elton John who joined the band to guest on a string-laden reworking of album closer “100% Endurance,” to multiple UK and US television appearances and beyond. Billboard described their last album, 2024’s Where’s My Utopia?, as “an uplifting and sometimes frenetic mix of trip-hop, dub, bass-and-drum indie rock, electronica, strings and sax punctuated by Smith’s mellifluous speak-singing,” while Under The Radar hailed it’s “an album that overflows, both in excess and excellence.”
Yard Act Tour Dates: (New Dates in Bold) Wed. June 3 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Thu. June 11 – Porto, PT @ Primavera Sound Porto Thu. June 11 – Hradec Králové, CZ @ Rock for People Sun. June 14 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Thu. July 2 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter Wed. Aug. 5 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up Tavern Thu. Aug. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Sat. Aug. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Sun. Aug. 9 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall Mon. Aug. 10 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre Tue. Aug. 11 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl Thu. Aug. 13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw Fri. Aug. 14 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Sat. Aug. 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Sun. Aug. 16 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair Thu. Oct. 1 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale Fri. Oct. 2 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Sat. Oct. 3 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg Mon. Oct. 5 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria-Theater Wed. Oct. 7 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich Thu. Oct. 8 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Music Hall Fri. Oct. 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Kägelbanan Sat. Oct. 10 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Mon. Oct. 12 – Warsaw, PL @ NIEBO Tue. Oct. 13 – Prague, CZ @ MeetFactory Wed. Oct. 14 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg Fri. Oct. 16 – Lausanne, CH @ Les Docks Sat. Oct. 17 – Milan, IT @ Magazzini Generali Sun. Oct. 18 – Toulouse, FR @ La Cabane Tue. Oct. 20 – Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apolo Wed. Oct. 21 – Madrid, ES @ Teatro Eslava Fri. Oct. 23 – Lisbon, PT @ Cineteatro Capitólio Fri. Nov. 6 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds Fri. Nov. 13 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse Thu. Nov. 26 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
