This past Wednesday night we headed over to one of our favorite concert venues, Thalia Hall in Pilsen, to finally check out a live performance by Beach Goth pioneers, The Growlers. I got into this band about a year ago after much recommendation, and I was instantly hooked by the dark, beach-y vibes of this band and who can resist by those alluring monotone vocals of Brooks Nielsen. Now, the test was to see how well this band’s reputation really lived up to its underground hype…
It did.
With new album City Club due out September 30 on Cult Records, the Cali band set out to build some proper hype around their latest material and they did so by playing several new numbers mixed in with their setlist standards throughout the night. Clad in spectacular matching white Nudie Suits, Nielsen and crew played staples like “Chinese Fountain,” “One Million Lovers,” and “Big Toe.” When the chill and charismatic frontman would introduce the crowd to new songs like “When You Were Made,” “Night Ride,” and lead single “City Club” (below), fans observed intently, as if they wanted to be completely aware and present for those moments that they will someday look back to and think: “remember when they first played that one live?!”
Grooving with @theGROWLERS ?✌️️ pic.twitter.com/V9rCerGjnZ
— Pursuit of Dopeness (@PursuitDopeness) September 22, 2016
At one point, lead singer Brooks stared into the crowd and shared a personal thought that drew plenty of applause, saying “I remember when I would first introduce these old songs and now I see you guys all singing them back, like fuck this is so relevant now” before going into “Humdrum Blues.” It felt like the band was having a “damn, look how far we’ve come! This is real life” moment. I can only imagine that long-time fans that were present that night, that have been along for their journey, must have appreciated being there for that intimate moment.
The best thing at this concert was the enthusiasm with which fans enjoyed the show. The view from the photo pit obviously allows you to get a glimpse at what makes “front row” fans be “front row” fans, and it’s understood why these followers would seem thrilled with every breath and every dance step executed by the frontman. But heading over to the balcony to get some more shots from those angles opened my eyes to a whole new kind of crowd. While the pit attendees’ upper floor counterparts weren’t crowdsurfing and taking video that would make their snapchat lit… the people upstairs made use of the extra leg (and breathing) room to go ballistic. The dancing was primal. Somehow on beat, those movements were just so natural, like if they were conjuring rain in a dry spell. Pairs and individuals danced their asses off, together and alone all at once, being completely uninhibited and allowing their bodies to express whatever The Growlers’s Beach Goth stylings made them feel.
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This band is a fucking thrill. The monotone vocals of Brooks Nielsen have a way to evoke so much despite not boasting much complexity or range to it. The fervor that night was infectious. For as much as I wanted to keep taking pics, I couldn’t focus much and danced instead.
After playing “Someday,” the crowd exploded. As the lights went out and the band headed backstage, fans all across the hall screamed like crazed animals. Even if the encore was pre-scheduled, the way this lot yelled, you would imagine the band would be compelled to come out and do a little more than originally planned.
During the encore, “I’ll Be Around” had to be the crowning moment of the night. The cumbia-like track, synths and all, got the crowd moshing. This was Riot Fest levels of moshing… for dancing music!! Oh and somehow girls would be crowdsurfing above mosh pits! It is safe to say that this was a show for the ages, one Growlers will reminisce about from here on out.
This was the night I became a true fan of The Growlers.
