Last night we caught a triple bill of distorted fuzz rock from Cults, Guards, and Writer.
With all of the buzz around their latest self-titled release, it was no surprise that Cults played to a packed Firebird last night. Similar to the both openers Guards and Writer, Cults mesmerized the crowd with enough distortion and loudness to send each and every concertgoer home with ringing ears.
And although I still can’t hear out of my left ear, my mind and body are entirely fixated on the triple-bill I just experienced.
Cults’ frontwoman Madeline Follin wooed every man (and woman) as she gently held onto each side of her dress, swaying back and forth as she poured out her heart through her high-pitched, girl-next-door vocals. Her timid stage presence felt fitting as she, Brian Oblivion, and their backing band played through a 35-minute set of cutesy ’60s girl group-style tunes.
The crowd went into a down-right boppin’ frenzy during “Bumper.” (Imagine a dance number by a modern-day cast of Grease who follow Pitchfork and Eleven, religiously). However, cutesy cannot be the only adjective to describe Cults’ live presence. Their modern-day take on the AM Gold sound is heavy in distortion and rock’n'roll energy.
Guards, notably the loudest act of the night, immediately dimmed the lighting, turned the fog machines on full blast, and played through a stunning set of vintage ’60s-style rock meets modern indie pop. Led by Madeline’s (of Cults) brother Richie Follin, the band’s style doesn’t stray far from that of Cults, though a much more masculine take on the era. Most impressive was Guards’ performance of “Long Time”, a trippy, hypnotic track combining shredding guitars and bass with vocals sang in unison.
San Diego duo Writers started off the night, energizing the crowd with their gritty, lo-fi fuzz pop. Their sound can be best described as a more toned-down version of Wavves that’s more suited for a makeout mixtape. In fact, the couple standing next to me agreed. Lip-locked with live music, those two definitely left The Firebird a happy pair.
