Feb 17, 2024 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
Sammy Rae & The Friends are currently on tour, with an album to be released before the end of the
year. The backdrop and stage setup evokes a “summer camp in the woods” vibe, befitting for a tour
titled, “CAMP.” As this was her homecoming show, it was to be expected that there was going to be a
special type of energy for the night.
Opener Funky Dawgz started the night on a fun note, blending covers with their original works. Their
brazen renditions of songs like “Unwritten” and “Water” brought joy to the audience, with everyone at
least grooving, if not dancing. Despite having a short set, the band primed the venue with a vitality that
was only going to be ramped up once the main act arrived on stage
The Friends entered the stage as if setting foot onto camp grounds, holding lanterns as they wandered
around the stage before getting into position. The band cued “Talk It Up,” and Sammy Rae teared on
stage with explosive, infectious energy. Throughout the night she sang with such bright, strong vocals
while strutting around the stage, it would be difficult to not be enamored with her as a performer. Her
charisma came off strong, and she connected with the audience from the start.
For the ballad “Living Room,” the band gathered in a semi-circle, conjuring an atmosphere of a fireside
singalong. This provided a cozy ambience as Rae belted out emotional lyrics to a captivated crowd. After
this soulful track, the band then kept the energy up for the rest of the night. Rae & The Friends also
performed “Thieves,” an upcoming single to be released Mar 8th and will be part of her upcoming debut
album.
Joyous, raucous, fun, Rae & the Friends served up an entertaining night, making it quite memorable. It
was a blast to see the band live, and I would highly recommend everyone to check them.
Dec 8, 2023 | ktru
By Kevin Lei
White Oak Music Hall became a haven for pop-punk enthusiasts as Knuckle Puck and Real Friends took the stage for a joint concert last Thursday night. The two bands are currently on a co-headlining tour across the United States. Despite the fact that it was mid-week, the two bands were able to garner an impressively sized audience.
Openers One Step Closer & Arm’s Length helped to set the tone for the rest of the night as they rocked out on stage. I was particularly impressed with the Arm’s Length set; they wore their emo influences on their sleeve, but their stage presence was infectious. I could see them being excellent successors to Real Friends and Knuckle Puck. One Step Closer’s sound was more hardcore, and their explosive performance energized the crowd ahead of Knuckle Puck’s set.
In order to make time for the other co-headlining band, Knuckle Puck had to keep their setlist relatively short. They played for just under an hour, but were able to play a breadth of songs from their catalog. This included classic tracks from their earlier albums like “No Good,” and “Want Me Around.” They also performed some songs from their latest studio album released a few weeks ago, Losing What We Love. Lead singer Joe Taylor acknowledged the fact that many fans might not have heard the new songs before, but from the energy of the crowd you would not have been able to tell. The band’s stage presence and the collective vigor within the room made it easy for anyone to enjoy themselves even if they weren’t familiar with much of the band’s recent releases. Before leaving the stage, Knuckle Puck finished off their set with a few fan-favorites like “Pretense,” “Gone,” and “Untitled,” which the rest of the fans and I greatly appreciated.
During the intermission before Real Friends, I noticed that many Knuckle Puck fans left the venue. However, those that stayed were rewarded with an exceptional second half to the show. I wasn’t a huge fan of Real Friends before attending this concert, but I was astounded by how engaging they were as performers. A lot of this was chalked up to the charismatic personalities of the band members. Real Friends played a wide range of songs from their discography, including a few singles from their latest album There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late, which was released in early 2023. The band even performed a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to celebrate bassist Kyle Fasel’s birthday (happy birthday Kyle!). Towards the end of the set, lead vocalist Cody Muraro came off the stage and stood in the middle of the crowd to sing “Teeth,” one of the band's most emotionally potent songs. This definitely tugged on my heartstrings and was by far my favorite moment of the concert. Real Friends also played a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness” and two fan-favorites, “Get By” and “Late Nights in My Car,” to finish off the show.
My Thursday night at the Knuckle Puck & Real Friends concert was full of fun surprises and unbridled energy; I was incredibly grateful to be in attendance. The two powerhouses of pop-punk put on an entertaining show that was mostly exciting and at times emotional. The show also felt very welcoming, and I think that anyone, regardless of their familiarity with pop-punk or emo, could have found something to enjoy. Afterwards, I was left exhilarated and exhausted, but also convinced that pop punk is very much alive and kicking.
Nov 23, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
The 6-piece band Ripe, hailing from Boston, ended their tour at a small venue (about 300 people) Sunday night, though this did not indicate the following this band has achieved (the band has performed at venues like MGM Music Hall and Brooklyn Steele). What was interesting was that people in the crowd were equally excited for the opener HOKO as they were for Ripe. Both bands were to perform a sold-out show that night.
Openers HOKO brought a liveliness that a typical main act would garner up. The band translated their experimental pop sound to a live band act seamlessly, and their performance did not disappoint. Lead singer Nathaniel would periodically hop from the stage into the crowd to hang out with the audience while singing; this interaction with concert-goers felt natural and laid back, the general vibe that the band gave off. A favorite song of their set was "Hellogoodbye."
After a much needed stage reset to accommodate the headcount increase in performers, Ripe hit the ground running with their beloved cover of “Lola,” originally sang by The Kinks. From there, the tracks continued to get everyone dancing. Between the soulful style of singing and the incorporation of live brass, the dance/funk band kept the energy levels up. While some audience members may have been disappointed that the band’s setlist of the night did not include tracks they shouted requests for, towards the end of the night, lead singer Robbie Wulfsohn did sing snippets of songs that were requested.
Not only did the band have great stage presence, they also had light-hearted stage interactions with each other. They had the hallmarks of a band that truly have fun together, and it seemed like they enjoyed being on tour throughout the experience. Before their encore tracks, they brought back onto the stage HOKO to perform a cover of “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba.
Ripe performed “Good Intentions” once returning to the stage, and then sent the crowd off to feel a “Little Lighter” with their final song. Overall, both HOKO and Ripe are recommended bands to see live to enjoy their presence as well as musical performances.
Nov 20, 2023 | ktru
By Alexa Scott
Few albums changed the indie music landscape as much as ‘An Awesome Wave’ by alt-J did when it debuted in 2012. With its seamless transitions from track to track, the album succeeds in immersing the audience in a unique sonic experience with its weird nonsense-esque sounds, which somehow transform into clever references the more you listen. Despite how dense and meticulous each track is, each song is catchier than the last, a feat to be recognized and applauded.
So, when I heard alt-J was coming to White Oak Music Hall in the middle of November for an anniversary tour, I knew I had to be there. And by the looks of the sold out sign on the door as I walked in, so did every single alt-J fan in the greater Houston area. The venue was packed, with people left standing in the middle of the open doors leading into the space (this I think was largely due to the crowd’s unwillingness to crowd together).
There’s something uniquely special about anniversary tours, not only do artists get to revisit past work and long-time fans get to reminisce about the first time they heard the band, it also gives artists full freedom over setlists, to hell with playing recent tracks. alt-J clearly took advantage of this, playing the entirety of ‘An Awesome Wave’ from start to finish and wrapping up with some fan-favorites from other albums.
Right off the bat, I was wowed with the light production for the show. Combined with the heavy building bass of songs like “Fitzpleasure,” it created an otherworldly atmosphere. Largely due to the layout of WOMH Downstairs, alt-J frontman Joe Newman was consistently bathed in streams of red beams of light timed with drops that made for a really cool visual experience.
I was a bit disappointed to see an overall lack of energy from the band as a whole. Other than the occasional breaks between songs to talk to the crowd, there was very little that differentiated one song from the other in terms of what they were doing. This meant that for popular, fast paced songs, the momentum from the crowd was there, and it was awesome. But for more dramatic, slower songs like “Bloodflood,” it felt lackluster. Maybe this is part of a larger conversation of comparing bands to past versions of themselves, but it was tough to see.
All in all, I’m glad I got to catch alt-J on their tour. After this brief stop in Texas, alt-J is headed to Canada before coming back to the US to wrap up their An Awesome Wave Anniversary Tour.
Nov 14, 2023 | ktru
By Jacob Pellegrino
Australian singer-songwriter grentperez is currently on tour in the United States and recently played a show at the Bronze Peacock stage in House of Blues Houston. The small room was packed with people excited for the show, which had sold out months prior.
The night started with opener FIG, a New York based indie pop musician. FIG was able to engage the audience throughout her set with her humorous personality and catchy, relaxing music. FIG’s sound is something that could easily be listened to while kicking back. She involved the audience in her show, asking general trivia questions and awarding those who got them right with free merchandise. FIG was able to keep the crowd moving and getting into her music, even as much of the audience had not heard her before.
grentperez opened his set with “When The Day Is Done,” the last track on his debut full-length album. He kept the show going with a mix of banter and music, at one point telling the audience that, at twenty-one, his voice has gotten a bit deeper recently, leading him to question some of the highest notes in his older music. Despite this new difficulty, he was still able to perform the songs well.
The crowd was invested in the performance throughout, with one member of the audience gifting Perez a crocheted cardigan with his last name emblazoned across the back. Perez sang “Happy Birthday” to an audience member when he saw on a sign held up that it was their birthday. The increasing expectation of audiences to get personal interaction from performers can often be obnoxious and distracting, but, at least at this show, it added a personal touch to the night.
After a few songs, Perez announced that his band had to take a flight to another gig and would unfortunately have to leave. This led to a set of three songs performed solo, including “Us Without Me,” where he brought up a fan to sing with him. After the songs performed solo, Perez faked a phone call in a bit and announced that his band’s fictitious flight had been canceled and that they would be able to return for the remainder of the show.
Lit by a disco ball, the small venue was perfect for grentperez’s laid-back sound. Ending the night with his debut single, “Cherry Wine,” Perez delivered a night to remember for the crowd rapt in attention to his music.
Nov 13, 2023 | ktru
By Jacob Pellegrino
Icelandic jazz-pop singer-songwriter Laufey recently performed a sold out show at White Oak Music Hall’s downstairs stage. Having played a show in the much smaller upstairs room just over a year ago, Laufey’s growth in popularity was visible with a large crowd entranced by her music, packing into the venue for the show.
The show opened with Adam Melchor, a musician from New Jersey, who performed his set acoustic and unaccompanied, except by his guitar. Having never heard Melchor’s music before, I was not sure what to expect, but really enjoyed his set. His songs are largely based on intimate, personal experiences from his life, but the emotions they evoke are larger than the individual events. Melchor engaged the crowd throughout his set, talking about the inspiration behind songs and mixing in banter between songs. A particularly poignant song that he played, “Joyride,” is about an old family car that got stolen and the divorce of his parents, drawing a similarity in how it can be healthy to let go of things.
Laufey came out shortly after Melchor and instantly commanded cheers from the full room. She opened with “Fragile,” the album opener from her debut album, Everything I Know About Love. It quickly set the tone for the rest of the night, showcasing Laufey’s smooth vocals and jazz-influenced band. She regularly interacted with the audience, talking about how excited she was to be in the big room at White Oak after having seen it last time she was in Houston and how happy she was at the enthusiastic, sold-out crowd. At one point, she split the crowd in two, giving each one a part to sing with one of her songs and describing them as her choir.
As this was the Bewitched tour, the setlist skewed closer to her newest release, as she played almost every song from the album, including her bossa-nova inflected viral hit “From The Start,” where she changed the lyrics to "Houston, I loved you from the start." After playing seventeen tracks, Laufey returned for a two song encore, playing “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” and “Someone New” to the excitement of the crowd. The audience was particularly excited for “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self,” a track about how far she’s come that addresses prior sources of unconfidence.
The concert showcased Laufey’s unique mix of traditional, jazz-inflected vocal performances and pop. She is able to take sounds from as wide a range as bossa nova and jazz and synthesize them into music that is approachable for people without experience with the genre. Laufey’s unique style really breathes in a live environment and makes for a great performance.
Nov 9, 2023 | ktru
By Gustavo Raskosky
George Clanton (a.k.a. Mirror Kisses, ESPRIT 空想, and Kid's Garden) performed live in Houston on October 18th, 2023, at White Oak Music Hall with accompanying acts: death’s dynamic shroud and Frost Children. This was the backend of George’s “Ooh Rap I Ya” tour. On my way to the venue, I decided it’d be wise to listen to the openers as I had not previously heard of them. I had roughly 45 minutes of time-on-bike to peddle through some of their hits. Death’s dynamic shroud reminded me of something I’d listen to in the background of a work session or on a film soundtrack. Experimental electronic vaporwave music best describes their sound. Their work is as dynamic as their name; however, their live performance is much more like an infamous 2000s band energy coming to life with a side of lo-fi DJ who couldn’t stop headbanging to the beat. The aforementioned DJ, Tech Honors, kept his head bopping to the rhythm of the tracks and had more energy than just about any of the audience members during their set. Second place during the set went to James Webster, their singer, who displayed plenty of passion in his guitar and vocal performances. Despite the passion James displayed and Tech’s eye-catching headbanging, the performance wasn’t as memorable as what was to follow.
After a brief intermission, Frost Children took the stage and raised the crowd's energy exponentially with their hyperpop sounds. Their songs, “FOX BOP” and “FLATLINE,” visually amplified the crowd’s vibe; however, it still seemed like the crowd wasn’t all in. I think most of the crowd had a singular mission to hear their favorite electronic musician (George Clanton) and was taking their time to digest the rest. Fair enough – as Frost Children presented plenty of new sounds that would take time to digest if you weren’t accustomed to it. I loved their on-stage presence. At one point, they began mentioning a variety of sights they saw in Houston, then stuttered on one location… beginning their
next song, “OBSESSED.” At one point, Lulu and Angel (the duo behind Frost Children) came within arm’s length of the audience to let some of them play on their keyboard. Their eccentric personalities and youthful energies came as a welcomed change of pace to how the night was going.
It was finally time for the man, myth, and legend George Clanton to take the stage. He humbly showed up on stage roughly 15 minutes before his start time to set up and test his instruments. As the crowd chanted his name, he remained focused on connecting his power supplies and messing around with lighting. He opened with “Livin’ Loose,” one of my all-time favorites off his 2018 album “Slide.” The energy of the venue shifted. Surrounded by two piles of retro televisions, some smoke, and a few lasers, George put on some stylish glasses and looked like his inner kid was having the time of his life. Everyone looked to be in a fused state of elated peace and high anticipation. The energy wasn’t ever too high, nor was it low. It remained “neutrally euphoric.” Throughout his performance, he also passed into the audience section to throw some water around and high-five some fans. George ended his set with “I Been Young,” solidifying George’s internal Peter Pan showcased earlier in the performance. I left the venue feeling a bit more inspired than I did going in – not because of the rollercoaster ride that is a typical concert experience, but because it felt like George was someone who could continue his passion for music, jamming out and having fun with a somewhat-carefree attitude. He’s having fun livin’ loose, and it’s a beauty to see (and hear).
Nov 9, 2023 | ktru
By Devin Gonzalez
We recently had the opportunity to talk with the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s frontman Anton Newcombe about their tour and their latest album, “The Future Is Your Past,” which was released in February.
How has the tour been going, and how does touring feel now compared to when you were starting out?
“I think that people are a lot less skeptical with what it is that I'm trying to do. I think when we first started, like when I first went to Iceland, everybody's like, ‘you're just here to fuck our women or some shit bullshit, right?’ And then people were saying like when we play, what is this The Monkees? There was no point of reference. But I think now we found ourselves in a really interesting space with a diversified audience of people that like the music and also of all ages, even when it's people bringing in their friends for the first time or something. It's like a really good space because most concerts even no matter who it is, a lot of the audience, they're crossed arms and they're just skeptical of everything they're witnessing live because I think it's the product of hypernormalisation where people don't know what to think about anything. Whether it's the dumbest person in the world running for president or whatever. They don't know what to think or they’re just tired of thinking. So I think we really lucked out. It's been really positive and heartwarming. For the most part, I can just do what I want without battling idiots.”
Have you noticed if your audience has changed (with new, younger fans in the crowd) or do you feel like there still remains a strong demographic of longtime psych fans that go to shows?
“We’ve always had a really mixed crowd. Always, from the beginning: from original hippies to the youngest people we could get in the door, and that's never changed.”
“It’s really cool to see in a city when there's all kinds of people, old people, children, instead of just like, oh, wow, we've got this ‘.com’ thing and everybody's just some jerk. Yeah, that's a bunch of money for two weeks and the rents are all too high and it's all Airbnbs and another group of assholes who come in and leave every day. It means that your city's alive. You know, wherever you see all types of people, like for instance, in the Hispanic community or whatever you see that's happening, that means the city is actually alive and living. It isn't like some dead zone that places get, that's a beautiful thing and I'm very thankful.”
Do you find yourself getting inspired by traveling around the world getting new experiences, or do you mainly get inspired when you have to sit down in the studio seeing what flows out of your mind?
“When I was a little kid, I knew very quickly I didn't want to be like anybody I've ever met, or like any of my friends. So I already had the inspiration in me to be myself. So I don't need inspiration. What I need to do is never forget what my core values as a person are and my techniques. See, it’s like I told my 10-year-old that you don’t need to learn and memorize everything. What you need to do is figure out how to answer the question that you're asking, or to know where to look for the answer. It's like most of the people walking around in the Western world and many other places have a computer in their pocket called a smartphone that's more powerful than the computers that were used to put people on the Moon. But they don't ever do anything with it. But the thing is, it's a very powerful tool if you're very inquisitive. Even Google, as horrible as it is, can be really really a powerful tool if you love learning. And I certainly do.”
How do you see your sound evolving over time? Or do you envision yourself trying to explore more of your ideas such as in your new album (“The Future Is Your Past”)?
My sound evolves because part of it is experimental and the other part is totally traditional. What I understand from where I come from, you know, I was born in 1967. So between my parents' record collection, everything that happened, I watched all that stuff and I closed my ears at the right time and opened them up back again. My only goals are to carry on. Not picking on old people or anything, but you know, there's people like the Rolling Stones who they're now in their 80s doing this thing that doesn't resemble anything. But it's a big show, you know, it's entertainment. And they certainly are professionals and people are there for it. I don't want to be that person. What I want to do is prove to other people that it's a ridiculous notion to think that manufactured teenagers are where it’s at. It doesn't matter if they're hip hoppers or whatever. That is not actually the pulse of anything. That's the pulse of big business. Like for instance, in the 60s. The people that were producing and making up the wild sounds and making everybody sound so good, they never, ever asked 13 year olds what they wanted. However, if there were some hot shit teenagers ripping it up, it doesn't if it was in surf music or anything else, they would make 10 of those. Doesn’t matter if it’s psychedelic or anything else, they go ‘we better get on this train very quick’. So it was a 50/50 balance and it's very important in politics and everything else, not a deadlock, but that people consider those things.
You often post your music on your YouTube channel before you actually release it on streaming platforms, or on shelves. What's your motive behind this?
So say like, your band's gonna be this big thing and you're hiding your big premiere of your song for Pitchfork or whoever, right. And they put it out on their social media. Within five minutes you're off the fucking screen, all your money and all the king's horses. I watched everybody's records sink below the sand. What I do is I interact with the works in progress and if I don't release it, so what. If I mix it and it’s better and I finish singing the words correctly, fine. But people can interact with it. It's more in our world. It's an observation that I made because I've been using computers as long as people have been using the internet. I understand how it works and how it actually works. Not to manipulate it to like help get an edge up on somebody else or rescue somebody else. But I understand how it works and how discovery works. Rather than selling something, I'm more interested in building culture.
When it comes to finding band members or potential people to collaborate with, do you try to find people that have a similar energy or people that could go along with your thought process?
I will teach anybody I care about everything I know about music, or life, art, perceptions, ways of seeing. And that doesn't mean that I'm being like a cold guy. It's kind of the only way there's ever been. But it doesn't matter if you're making oak beds or brass beds, or teaching somebody to intern. You're gonna teach them everything you know about your craft, and it doesn't always work out. It doesn't matter if you're a plumber and you take a teenager in for a summer job or not. It's not going to be everybody's gig. That's exactly the way I do it. Exactly like somebody who's a plumber that you would call and find some kid who wants to work or some person wants to try it and I try to teach them what I know that works. Every aspect right down to work is play. Then it does not feel like it’s work. So you're not just harboring resentment over every little thing you do grumbling and then bitching about why your life doesn't work. But treat everything that same way.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The views, commentary, and opinions expressed during the preceding editorial are solely those of the person(s) expressing them and not necessarily those of the faculty, staff, or administration of Rice University.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s album “The Future Is Your Past” is available wherever you stream music.
Photo taken by Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom - Brian Jonestown Massacre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22318710
Oct 30, 2023 | ktru
By Jacob Pellegrino
Atlanta rapper and singer 6LACK is currently on tour with up and coming St. Louis musician Jordan Ward opening. We were able to attend his Houston stop on the “Since I Have A Lover” tour. The show featured a strong opening from Ward and a career-spanning set from 6LACK that had the crowd moving for the whole night.
The show began with Ward coming onto the stage jumping and pumping up the audience with his infectious energy. Early in his set, he played his addictive 2021 single “Lil Baby Crush” to the excitement of the crowd. The track’s upbeat and breezy energy was great to hear live.
Before performing his song “WHITE CROCS,” which was posted on Tyler, the Creator’s Instagram story a while back, Ward signed a pair of the titular Crocs for a fan. He ended his set with “FAMJAM4000,” calling the audience family and reaffirming his appreciation of each person’s presence during his set. It was a perfect closer with Ward leaving to applause and telling fans to say hello to him at the merch booth after the show.
After a brief wait between sets, it was finally time for 6LACK to take the stage. He opened with “Inwood Hill Park,” a favorite from his most recent album, “Since I Have A Lover,” which sees him embrace happiness after years of music about emotional instability and unhealthy relationships. Classics like “Free” and “Luving U” had the crowd flashing back to 2016 and the sounds that propelled 6LACK to early popularity, even as he clarified that he doesn’t feel that way anymore, acknowledging his growth over the years.
Among songs from his own albums, 6LACK mixed in a section of collaborations that he has done over the years, showing the breadth of his musical ability. During this section, he also brought Jordan Ward back out to perform their collaboration from Ward’s most recent release.
6LACK performed for almost two hours with the crowd singing along on a large portion of the songs. The inclusion of his music from different albums, with the set alternating between the eras, kept the show interesting with a wide range of emotions in play for listeners. The stage setup of three screens with simple visuals and/or video of 6LACK performing worked well with the lighting to add a great ambiance and energy to the venue.
6LACK’s trademark mix of R&B and rap is something that is intoxicating in a live music environment. Throughout the night, he reaffirmed just how great his voice is with his words gaining a new power live.
Oct 22, 2023 | ktru
By Sindhuja Darisipudi and Harshitha Pelaprolu
Following almost two years touring, Holden S. Jaffe, better known as Del Water Gap, returned to Houston for the second solo show on his I Miss You Already + I Haven't Left Yet (IMYA+IHLY) tour only two weeks after the album's release. Playing at Warehouse Live's intimate 450 person capacity studio, Jaffe imbued the room with his vivacious energy for an unforgettable show.
The show opened with a contrasting but complementary tempo, with opener Kristiane, alongside her bassist Kelsey, delivering soft indie pop reminiscent of Gracie Abrams and Clairo. Highlighted by her newest album's lead single "Wish I Could Be Your Girl," Kristiane's set cultivated a comforting and welcoming atmosphere.
Del Water Gap's set bursted with energy from the start, beginning with "NFU" off his new album. Strong lighting flooded the stage and set the tone for the electric spirit that came with the show that followed. The rest of the set was composed of songs both from IMYA+IHLY and from parts of his older discography, all of which were sonically complimentary, so no energy was lost in transitions. The backing tracks throughout the show were immersive and infused the room with energy, all without being overwhelming or drowning out the artist's crisp and captivating vocals. There were also several moments in which the band was able to stand out with solos and riffs, creating a sound unique from the album as heard via streaming. Jaffe's energy throughout the show was entirely met by the crowd's ardent singing and dancing. Throughout the first portion of the set, upbeat songs were punctuated by softer ones, each flowing seamlessly into the other despite the difference in sound.
A little over halfway through the show, Jaffe played "Beach House," marking a transition into a continuous set of upbeat songs. The artist later shared that this song was his favorite to play on tour, which was evident in the energy he brought to the stage during its performance. This second act was accentuated with a fan favorite "Perfume,” where Jaffe joined the crowd to dance, along with two lead singles off IMYA+IHLY, "All We Ever Do is Talk" and "Coping On Unemployment.” For an encore, Jaffe first played a serene "We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else," slowing the pace of the show one last time to focus attention on beguiling vocals, gentle music, and the intimacy of the setting. The show ended with his breakout single "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat," reestablishing the same electric and dynamic energy that the show began with.
Alongside an enveloping sonic experience, Jaffe curated a unique visual experience as he supplemented standard concert lighting and fog with a set consisting of an old CRT TV, rotary phone, and old fashioned nightstand clock. Throughout the set, the TV was lit with visuals that Jaffe had released alongside IMYA+IHLY. Most notable were the "Quilt of Steam" visualizer and several music videos from throughout his career, all of which are evocative of old footage taken from a coming of age film.
Del Water Gap cultivated an extremely unique visual, sonic, and social experience throughout his show, culminating in a performance guaranteed to please any indie rock or indie pop fan. Jaffe demonstrated not only an ability to produce exceptional music in his genre, but also to create a truly engaging and vibrant experience.
For the ballad “Living Room,” the band gathered in a semi-circle, conjuring an atmosphere of a fireside
In order to make time for the other co-headlining band, Knuckle Puck had to keep their setlist relatively short. They played for just under an hour, but were able to play a breadth of songs from their catalog. This included classic tracks from their earlier albums like “No Good,” and “Want Me Around.” They also performed some songs from their latest studio album released a few weeks ago, Losing What We Love. Lead singer Joe Taylor acknowledged the fact that many fans might not have heard the new songs before, but from the energy of the crowd you would not have been able to tell. The band’s stage presence and the collective vigor within the room made it easy for anyone to enjoy themselves even if they weren’t familiar with much of the band’s recent releases. Before leaving the stage, Knuckle Puck finished off their set with a few fan-favorites like “Pretense,” “Gone,” and “Untitled,” which the rest of the fans and I greatly appreciated.
During the intermission before Real Friends, I noticed that many Knuckle Puck fans left the venue. However, those that stayed were rewarded with an exceptional second half to the show. I wasn’t a huge fan of Real Friends before attending this concert, but I was astounded by how engaging they were as performers. A lot of this was chalked up to the charismatic personalities of the band members. Real Friends played a wide range of songs from their discography, including a few singles from their latest album There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late, which was released in early 2023. The band even performed a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to celebrate bassist Kyle Fasel’s birthday (happy birthday Kyle!). Towards the end of the set, lead vocalist Cody Muraro came off the stage and stood in the middle of the crowd to sing “Teeth,” one of the band's most emotionally potent songs. This definitely tugged on my heartstrings and was by far my favorite moment of the concert. Real Friends also played a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness” and two fan-favorites, “Get By” and “Late Nights in My Car,” to finish off the show.
The 6-piece band Ripe, hailing from Boston, ended their tour at a small venue (about 300 people) Sunday night, though this did not indicate the following this band has achieved (the band has performed at venues like MGM Music Hall and Brooklyn Steele). What was interesting was that people in the crowd were equally excited for the opener HOKO as they were for Ripe. Both bands were to perform a sold-out show that night.
Openers HOKO brought a liveliness that a typical main act would garner up. The band translated their experimental pop sound to a live band act seamlessly, and their performance did not disappoint. Lead singer Nathaniel would periodically hop from the stage into the crowd to hang out with the audience while singing; this interaction with concert-goers felt natural and laid back, the general vibe that the band gave off. A favorite song of their set was "Hellogoodbye."
Icelandic jazz-pop singer-songwriter Laufey recently performed a sold out show at White Oak Music Hall’s downstairs stage. Having played a show in the much smaller upstairs room just over a year ago, Laufey’s growth in popularity was visible with a large crowd entranced by her music, packing into the venue for the show.
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George Clanton (a.k.a. Mirror Kisses, ESPRIT 空想, and Kid's Garden) performed live in Houston on October 18th, 2023, at White Oak Music Hall with accompanying acts: death’s dynamic shroud and Frost Children. This was the backend of George’s “Ooh Rap I Ya” tour. On my way to the venue, I decided it’d be wise to listen to the openers as I had not previously heard of them. I had roughly 45 minutes of time-on-bike to peddle through some of their hits. Death’s dynamic shroud reminded me of something I’d listen to in the background of a work session or on a film soundtrack. Experimental electronic vaporwave music best describes their sound. Their work is as dynamic as their name; however, their live performance is much more like an infamous 2000s band energy coming to life with a side of lo-fi DJ who couldn’t stop headbanging to the beat. The aforementioned DJ, Tech Honors, kept his head bopping to the rhythm of the tracks and had more energy than just about any of the audience members during their set. Second place during the set went to James Webster, their singer, who displayed plenty of passion in his guitar and vocal performances. Despite the passion James displayed and Tech’s eye-catching headbanging, the performance wasn’t as memorable as what was to follow.
It was finally time for the man, myth, and legend George Clanton to take the stage. He humbly showed up on stage roughly 15 minutes before his start time to set up and test his instruments. As the crowd chanted his name, he remained focused on connecting his power supplies and messing around with lighting. He opened with “Livin’ Loose,” one of my all-time favorites off his 2018 album “Slide.” The energy of the venue shifted. Surrounded by two piles of retro televisions, some smoke, and a few lasers, George put on some stylish glasses and looked like his inner kid was having the time of his life. Everyone looked to be in a fused state of elated peace and high anticipation. The energy wasn’t ever too high, nor was it low. It remained “neutrally euphoric.” Throughout his performance, he also passed into the audience section to throw some water around and high-five some fans. George ended his set with “I Been Young,” solidifying George’s internal Peter Pan showcased earlier in the performance. I left the venue feeling a bit more inspired than I did going in – not because of the rollercoaster ride that is a typical concert experience, but because it felt like George was someone who could continue his passion for music, jamming out and having fun with a somewhat-carefree attitude. He’s having fun livin’ loose, and it’s a beauty to see (and hear).
Before performing his song “WHITE CROCS,” which was posted on Tyler, the Creator’s Instagram story a while back, Ward signed a pair of the titular Crocs for a fan. He ended his set with “FAMJAM4000,” calling the audience family and reaffirming his appreciation of each person’s presence during his set. It was a perfect closer with Ward leaving to applause and telling fans to say hello to him at the merch booth after the show.
6LACK performed for almost two hours with the crowd singing along on a large portion of the songs. The inclusion of his music from different albums, with the set alternating between the eras, kept the show interesting with a wide range of emotions in play for listeners. The stage setup of three screens with simple visuals and/or video of 6LACK performing worked well with the lighting to add a great ambiance and energy to the venue.
