Rivergazer took the stage and took a minute to make a few weird electronic noises before launching into some lo-fi electro R&B jams. Based on the band name alone I was expecting something a little louder and heavier. The band consists of two guys. One playing guitar or bass and the other with keyboards and synths. The keyboard/synth guy was the lead singer but the other guy would then come in with some nice harmonies. I just consulted them and it turns out that Kevin Ferrant the frontman of Rivergazer is also a member of Porches. They later brought out their friend Ricky to help them out with an auto tune free T-Pain cover. Kevin kept telling the crowd “y’all are hot and sexy as fuck”.
If the first band was Rivergazer then let’s just says that the next band Japanese Breakfast could be called Lakegazers. They have more of a true dreampop sound. They stirred up quite the buzz touring with Mitski over the summer. Japanese Breakfast are led by spunky singer Michelle Zauner. When she’s not strumming some mean riff she’s bouncing around the stage trilling. As the songs went on they started to combine more of a 90s alt rock sound with the dream pop which I like. JB have a strong local connection in that Zauner is a graduate of Wellesley College. Japanese Breakfast played most if not all the songs on their album Psychopomp. They also played a cover of The Cranberries’ “Dreams”. Their last song about being in love with a robot was a lot more synth-y and electronic than any of their other songs.
Aaron Maine and the rest of his Porches crew walked on stage to some song that kinda sounded like hipster Rihanna or something. Last year Porches played a Hassle show at the Elks Lodge with fellow faves Frankie Cosmos. Aaron even mentioned that one of the last times they played the Boston area was at this underground basement type venue. They are known for lo-fi post synth rock. If they added a few more synths they may just go totally v a p o r w a v e on your asses. One of the first things I noticed when I saw the stage were the vases full of flower bouquets. At one point Michelle of Japanese Breakfast gave a friend that she saw in the crowd a flower. Also there was a cowboy hat on stage and members kept alternating wearing it throughout each song. To keep with the trend of every band doing a cover Porches covered a song by their friend and former tourmate Alex G. Afterwards they did an impromptu encore of two older songs.
Video of Porches
