Earlier in the week at Sinclair, singer-songwriter Erik Schrody, aka Everlast, let loose on the crowd after a showgoer tossed a hat that brushed his guitar. The singer was so furious that he stopped mid-performance and verbally assaulted the fan. “I don’t play that shit, homie, you drunk fuck.” Schrody quickly called on security to carry out his anger, booming “this mothafucker gotta go,” into the mic while the crowd cheered on. He continued to spew his aggression on stage. “There ain’t no rockstars in here. That’s bullshit. You throw another thing up here and I’ll fucking punch you in your face.”
At Wednesday’s Sinclair, the line-up was a bit more hospitable.
Greta Kline of Frankie Cosmos kicked off the night as endearingly as possible, playing her set as you’d hear some of her more simplified work. Kline’s catalog is incredible. From EPs as Ingrid Superstar, to her work as simply Ingrid, to her evolution into Frankie Cosmos, and finally, her noteworthy collaboration with Porches’ own Aaron Maine– Kline produces songs at an awe-inspiring rate. Their effect is captivating and entirely personal.
Like the bulk of her catalog, Kline spent her time on stage focusing on vocals and simple guitar work. Aside from more basic tunes, Kline gave the crowd “My I Love You” and “Birthday Song” while Maine played percussion alongside her. The result allowed first-time listeners to recognize the potential of that heard on Zentropy, an album packed with love, a bit of over-sharing, and definite vulnerability. It’s safe to say Kline’s 2014 release brought the bulk of her fans to Wednesday’s show, though her lovable awkwardness and unmistakeable wit kept them there. Kline also gave showgoers “Sleep Song” and “Family With a Dog” two newer tunes from Quick Songs, a seven track EP Kline debuted after writing a song every day for a week. If only we could all be that productive.
Frankie Cosmos’ set was intimate despite a larger audience. Like a coffee house turned Sinclair, Kline created a confidence between herself and listeners through the same directness she employs in her music. She was quick to tell fans the backstory of songs, one of which she described to be influenced by one of Porches’ drummer Cameron Wisch’s numerous bands. Kline was likable and sweet, keeping her eyes closed while singing breathy lyrics to a silent crowd. At times you could even hear her smile.
Kline finished her set with Maine back on drums, the two playing a new song she stated to be about the Porches frontman (her longtime boyfriend). They carried out the tune in an almost nauseatingly cute way, as Kline perched on the drum risers and stared longingly up at Maine. Kline quickly rolled on the floor and laid there, as the two fiddled with instruments in a haphazard, playful jam. Though saccharine, their antics were certainly engaging to showgoers, who couldn’t help but be fascinated by the relationship aired before them.
It wasn’t long before the duo swapped instruments and Maine took the mic for Porches’ set. To many this was the highlight of the night, as the five-piece (with Kline on bass) played a solid set of dancier tunes than Porches fans are used to. Maine devoted the bulk of his set to give listeners a breadth of new songs. They resulted to be the night’s pinnacle. It seems Porches next record release will tend toward the more electronic side of 2013’s, Slow Dance in the Cosmos. The experimental folk-pop album is a favorite to many, intricately packed with head-bangers, breathless ballads and Aaron Maine’s mysterious humor. The band gave Wednesday’s crowd a rockier “Franklin the Flirt”, “Headsgiving” and raging “Skinny Tress.” Their new songs are uptempo, a direction to match Maine’s mindset as he told the crowd, “Feel free to boogie.”
And boogie they did. It’s not often an audience reacts so strongly to unreleased music. Though it seems Maine’s new direction still holds footing in his past. Despite having a cheery feel unusual to the band, each new tune still encompassed the gloom standard to the frontman’s mind. The band had the venue moving like an indie-folk dance club, as their sound transformed from early Sparklehorse to that of a self-loathing Phil Collins.
Though unbelievable to say, we’d guess Porches’ next record to be even more promising than their 2013 release.
Brooklyn-based Hospitality rounded out the lineup as the night’s headliners. A number of showgoers left after Porches, though with time a few trickled back into the venue, giving Hospitality a decent, though slightly less interested crowd. Though not the night’s true high point, the band’s set was certainly strong, and built largely on the tunes of 2014’s Trouble. On stage, Hospitality sounded much larger than a typical four-piece. Each member played at least two different instruments, most notably drummer Nathan Michael, whose guitar solo during “Rockets and Jets” fell welcome on the ears of classic rock fans.
From a Karen O-esque “Inauguration” to a choppy “I Miss Your Bones,” the band delivered a complex sound through fluted keys, strong guitar lines, and the welcome crooning of frontwoman Amber Papini. Hospitality covered a lot of musical ground, moving through decades and subgenres of pop and rock with their inquisitive “Nightingale”, heartbreaking “It’s Not Serious” and “The Birthday,” a spiraling, roadrunner worthy of some serious head-bobbing.
From start to finish, Hospitality gave showgoers a connection to their own millennial experiences. Papini touched on a number of topics possible to consume a certain kind of twentysomething. From love to loss, the terrifying idea of settling down for good, the singer touched on applicable topics in a sweet yet sulky pitch. Aside from having the more downtrodden themes of the night, the bands sound was fun throughout. And as a bunch of mixed-up, anxiety-ridden child-adults, that’s just what we needed.
