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Spanish Love Songs, Oso Oso, Sydney Sprague, Worry Club
Varsity Theater
Minneapolis, MN
April 17, 2024
 

Wednesday’s show at Varsity Theater began with a band dressed like it was the 1990s, followed by a band dressed like the 2000s, another dressed like the 2010s, and the headliner came out looking like…longshoremen. I kid, but I do mean to draw in personal style a little bit to say this was a diverse of artists with a lot of overlap between them. I was mostly familiar for Spanish Love Songs, who are on a co-headlining tour with Oso Oso, playing night 11 of the cross-country tour.
 
Worry Club kicked it off, playing a high energy set that brought the crowd to the front right away. Painting with broad strokes, their sound is emo-pop with equal parts jangle, bounce, twinkle, and punch. It was a good way to kick things into gear early on a weeknight, followed by Sydney Sprague, a fitting sonic pairing with a very different style. Playing singer-songwriter music with a full band, Sydney Sprague let music speak for itself with a serious but powerful set. The band is less active on stage, yet engaging with a build-up type energy that balances emotional, contemplative rock with loud moments with a drama-free, down to earth vibe. Both openers set a tone with pure energy and positivity, before we switched gears to Oso Oso and “grouchcore” Spanish Love Songs.
 
I’ve given Oso Oso a few listens over the years and generally liked what I’d heard without diving in deep. Their style of dramatic rock meets emo is something I enjoy a lot more in a live setting than on record. That was my expectation, and that’s what happened with their hour-long set. Right from the start, the musicianship was tight and the vocals were on point. It’s the kind of music that draws you in, building up like post-rock but far more rhythmic. In some ways, I’d say the guitarist almost stole the show with some pure rock star strutting that somehow fit the vibe even though, on paper, it sounds counter to Oso Oso’s more somber take. Maybe that’s the metaphor here: the cathartic effect of live music, for musician and audience. Oso Oso is super emotional, yet with peppy, pogo-friendly tunes. The stage contrast between band members was a bit unique, with high activity on the left, dwindling toward the right, where songwriter Jade Lilitri stood mostly still for more of the set, concentrating on the more serious side of the spectrum. Early on, the rest of the band left the stage, giving Lilitri a full solo moment as well.
 
Spanish Love Songs led with “Lifers” and even broke out a sax for “Clean Up Crew” for the first time on the tour (which, of course, happened right after I left the photo pit). The room wasn’t full, but the band acted like it, with a lot of banter, a good chunk of songs from last year’s No Joy, and even mixing in a few older songs from the Schmaltz era. While it can feel trite when a band talks about how they owe their fans, it felt authentic when Dylan Slocum addressed the subject, probably in part because of the band’s personalized lyrical style. There is simply an intimacy at a show like this that’s hard to explain, since most of the lyrics bring stage and crowd together. 

I had caught part of the band’s set at a Fest years ago, but had never seen the full thing (this was their first headlining set in Minneapolis, they noted – I honestly kind of bummed to hear I missed a show where they played with Iron Chic like 7 years ago). Anyway, Slocum has a distinct stage presence, watching him balance vocals and guitar, and his mannerisms somewhat reminded me of Craig Finn: simple but in tune with the music. It was equally fun to watch Meredith Van Woert as she’d mostly play synth, but for select songs grab a guitar – and, on occasion, handle both instruments at once. The older songs seemed to hit the crowd hardest, drawing a modest pit and a lot of hands in the air throughout as people sang along and emphasized select lyrics. “Brave Faces, Everyone” closed it out in a crescendo-like rocker moment where, as a fitting metaphor, Slocum’s hat finally came off, a weird but fitting symbol of losing himself in the moment.
 
Overall, the four-band lineup told a nice narrative that balanced introspective emo-minded, punk-tinged rock. The openers and closers had the most active, talkative sets with some somber all-about-the-music moments in the middle.

There's a time for words and there's a time for music.

We write about music a lot at Scene Point Blank but this time it's just a playlist share.

Now, the catch:
All of the bands on this playlist have been covered at SPB and, if not, the record was sent to us for consideration and we never got to a more in-depth writeup.

Enjoy and find something new. Share the music.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Theatre Royal
Sydney, Australia
03 April 2024

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has entrenched itself as a cultural icon, melding interactive cinema, Tim Curry's iconic rendition of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Richard O'Brien's glam-rock melodies, and a fervent fanbase devoted to cosplay and audience engagement. Returning to Theatre Royal Sydney amidst global celebrations for its 50th Anniversary, the production dazzles with a stellar cast led by Jason Donovan as the magnetic Frank-N-Furter and Dylan Alcott as the charismatic Narrator, offering a captivating blend of spectacle and nostalgia.

The Australian leg of the 50th Anniversary tour follows sold-out successes in Newcastle and Melbourne, reaffirming the show's enduring allure. Donovan's portrayal of Frank-N-Furter, alongside a talented ensemble including Stellar Perry, Deirdre Khoo, and Henry Rollo, delivers a high-energy, immersive experience. Blake Bowden and Daniel Erbacher add depth to their roles as Brad and Rocky, complementing the show's dynamic narrative arc.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe and featuring Hugh Durrant's evocative sets and Sue Blane's iconic costumes, the production maintains the Rocky Horror legacy while infusing new vitality. Nathan M Wright's choreography and Nick Richings' lighting design create a visually stunning and electrifying atmosphere, enhancing classic numbers like "The Time Warp."

Despite the passage of time and societal shifts, Rocky Horror's irreverent charm endures, though some elements may feel dated. The show's enthusiastic audience participation, led by Alcott's engaging narration, injects renewed vigor into familiar scenes. Donovan's playful interpretation of Frank-N-Furter, coupled with Bowden and Khoo's chemistry as Brad and Janet, keeps the narrative engaging and entertaining.

While acknowledging the show's nostalgic appeal, one wonders about its potential for contemporary relevance and deeper exploration of gender and sexuality themes. Nevertheless, this production's infectious energy and spirited performances resonate, affirming Rocky Horror's timeless legacy and its ability to captivate audiences across generations.

In essence, The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Sydney's Theatre Royal is a jubilant celebration of music, mischief, and liberation, inviting audiences to embrace their inner rebels and indulge in a riotous evening of entertainment.

On an unseasonably pleasant Monday evening,  I made the short journey to the city of Norwich in Norfolk for a night of doom metal. A normal Monday evening for me consists of doing the weekly food shop and then falling asleep on the sofa in front of the TV so a deviation from the mundane was largely welcomed. 

Liverpool based three piece doom metal legends Conan formed in 2006 yet this was their first time playing in Norwich. So, a first for us both as this was my first time seeing Conan live. The Waterfront Studio is a smaller room above the bigger Waterfront gig venue so nice and cosy. The gig was sold out as well which is always a good sign. The UK leg of this tour kicked off on the 12th March and playing with Conan as main support were Wallowing from Brighton. Every city or town visited supplied a local opening act to kick the night off.

Our local support band for the night were the awesome Norwich based three piece, Acid Throne. For me, and for the fact that it was a Monday, they were the perfect opening act. Their dark, heavy, booming sound gave the night a promising start. I found them quite serene and zen whilst producing some quality bass heavy doom/stoner metal. Acid Throne have come a long way in a short space of time having won the opportunity to play The New Blood stage at Bloodstock festival a mere 6 months after forming. A little understated in stage presence but their adept attitude and no nonsense approach at their craft is great to watch. Their dual booming vocals add depth but sometimes it was a little hard to differentiate between the two. Their debut album Kingsdom's Death released in November 2023, was produced by Conan's former bass player Chris Fielding, so it makes sense that they should be there. 

Out of all the bands playing this show the only one I had previously seen were Acid Throne.  Conan  are a band I have listened to before and at least knew of them beforehand. The second band of the night, Wallowing, were completely unknown to me. Before they came on, a friend commented, saying that he had heard they were a kind of scfi/experimental metal crossover which peaked my interest. What happened next was a set that you had to see in person to fully get the true experience. Dressed as a bunch of futuristic bee keepers complete with smoke machines and flashing lights, Wallowing, ascended the stage to one of the longest intros I have heard. They are a five piece consisting of drums, bass, guitar and two vocalists with a sampler. Their music is a bizarre combination of avant-guarde/improvisational noise with on stage theatrics and a fuck ton of shouting. Are they pioneers of this interesting crossover? I would say no. Did their music inspire deep existential thoughts and transport me to a higher plane? Also no, but they did have a great stage presence and most of us in the crowd just stood open mouthed throughout their entire set. Perhaps it is because I don't know their songs but it seemed to me like they were a bunch of people all playing an instrument but not necessarily playing the same song. It was all a little bit too freestyle for me interspersed with random shouting and at one point I think one of the singers may have had a break down of some sort. The crowd really did seem captivated by them though and the band were giving it their all. I think the sound tech was having an absolute nightmare. They were fighting a losing battle trying to get the instruments to cut through the noise of the samplers whilst making the dual vocals understandable and more often then not it was just a muddy mess of white noise. I can honestly say that Wallowing are not for me but I am glad I got to experience them live.

After the surrealism of Wallowing it was time for the band we had been waiting for. Conan  hit the stage in style with drummer, Johnny King making the other drummers of the night pale into insignificance... this guy has unbelievable power behind the kit, to the point of distraction. That kit was absolutely hammered yet he made it look so effortless! Being a three piece, guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis and new bassist/vocalist David Ryley flank King on either side so the crowd can experience the whole picture both physically and visually. Conan have been labelled as "caveman battle doom" which is  funny and pretty apt but even so they are more technical then that. Conan are never going to be described as monotone either. The contrast between Davis and Ryley's vocals is just how it should be. To me, Davis has a kind of Ozzy Osbourne/Tony Forests high pitched quality that cuts through the bottom end sound and accentuates the low growl of Ryley perfectly. There is definitely doom/sludge metal elements at the forefront in terms of structure but they also have a huge hint of good ol' fashioned metal too. Their song pace is just that little bit quicker, a bit more powerful and their tracks are around 4-5 minutes which I guess would be considered relatively short. After the muddiness of Wallowing, Conans sound was clear and refreshing to start off with. I think everyone's hearing was giving up by the time Conan were in the last quarter of their set so again everything did start to blend together again but for a while it was great. I'm not hugely up on Conans back catalogue and I am only familiar with a couple of their albums; Revengeance (2016), Existential Void Guardian (2018) and Evidence Of Immortality (2022) so there were a few tracks that I was not particularly familiar with but I did recognise some key tracks, "Volt Thrower", "Levitation Hoax" and "Satsumo" to name a few. 

The whole set went down incredibly well with the sell out crowd who were a mix of early twenty somethings to us oldies over forty skulking around in the background. A mosh pit activated almost as soon as Conan hit their first chord, before that it had been non existent which I am blaming on the fact that it was Monday, Acid Throne were quite chill and no one had a clue what to do for Wallowing so it was kind of a relief to see some movement! A few brave souls fashioned a circle pit of sorts and heads were being banged in various stages of enthusiasm throughout their set. The band certainly seemed to enjoy their first show in Norwich and stood at the door to thank patrons for coming and talk shop. The merch stands were reasonably priced and there were a lot of really awesome hoodies, t-shirts, posters and CD's to take home. I think the line up complemented each other well and we as the crowd experienced something unique with it being Conans first Norwich show and who they brought with them. I think this was my favourite Monday night of this year. 

Alkaline Trio are back on the road supporting their new album, Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs, and they've brought along pop-punk act Worriers and hardcore quintet, Drug Church. The tour is starting things out in So-Cal and had the opportunity to catch the show in San Diego!

Worriers walked out and blasted into "Big Feelings" from their third LP, You or Someone You Know. With the release of their newest album late last year, most of the set was occupied with tracks from Trust Your Gut, including "Hold My Breath," "I'm Not Mad," "Backyard Garden," their latest single "Top 5" and the title track. They still threw in a smattering of old songs including "They/Them/Theirs" from Imaginary Life and "Future Me" from Survival Pop. The combination of punchy chords, catchy hooks, and Lauren's unique vocal timbre resulted in a warm and inviting energy to the room that kept the audience entertained.

Next up were Drug Church. I'd been familiar with the name for years, but have never actually listened to one of their albums. Up until recently, admittedly, they've been a band I got confused with Gouge Away and Culture Abuse. Don't ask me why. This was my first real exposure to them and I was blown away. Despite being the support act, for a very different type of band, frontman Patrick Kindlon still managed to connect with the crowd. He danced across the stage, declared the barrier as being "imaginary" and invited fans to make their way to the stage. If the bouncers thought they were going to have an easy night, they were sorely mistaken as a steady stream of crowd surfers started to make their way to the band.

Next up were punk vets, Alkaline Trio. They opened the set with their new album opener "Hot For Preacher" before jumping back to their breakout single, "We've Had Enough." The energy from Drug Church carried over as a slew of people began crowd surfing. Newcomer on the tour is drummer, Atom Willard, who's filling in after long-time drummer, Derek Grant decided to step away from the band. While the overall feel of some songs was different, Atom did well to fill Grant's shoes.

Alkaline Trio decided to shake up the setlists this go around, abandoning some setlist staples for years like "Private Eye," "Cringe," and "This Could Be Love." They rotated in some songs that haven't been played in years like "Dine Dine My Darling," "Burned is the House," and "Fuck You, Aurora." The setlist change could be felt throughout the room, for better or for worse. On the one hand, it gave long-time fans a chance to experience some songs they may not have had a chance to see in the past, but on the other hand, the crowd wasn't singing as much during some of the deeper cuts. The band continued to try out new tracks like "Break," "Versions of You" and "Bad Time" while working in classics such as "Mr. Chainsaw," "Goodbye Forever" and "All On Black."

They closed out the set with "Teenage Heart." When they came back for their encore, they went into "Time to Waste" and long-time fan favorite and closer, "Radio." The loud chorus of fans during the song's "I've got a big fat fucking bone to pick with you my darling" sing-along was something that you could sense the crowd had been anticipating all night. If they had to trade out any staples, it's fortunate that "Radio" didn't make the cutting room floor.

Although there were some early tour hiccups, or as Skiba described it, "dusting off the cobwebs," they still sounded great! They're finding their chemistry with Atom Willard and giving the fans something different this tour. The entire line-up is varied and something special, and it's not a tour to miss. Catch it when it comes through your city.