Last Friday, The Frights played Royale with Epitaph label-mates HUNNY and San Francisco five-piece Hot Flash Heat Wave (HFHW). And although the show started at 6:30pm, fans were clearly not deterred, lining the block outside the venue by 5:00pm and ready to start their Friday night off early.
Returning to Boston just a few months after their show at Great Scott with Summer Salt and The Symposium, HFHW made an even bigger splash than before in the larger venue. With more room to move around and better sound and lighting equipment, HFHW was able to really get the crowd going. And like at their last performance, HFHW ended their set with polka-punk jam “Blue,” pulling their newest member and secret weapon, Jeffrey, off the keyboard to rock out on the accordion.
Next up was HUNNY, hopping on stage right around 7:00pm. But before they even began to play, frontman Jason Yarger permeated the room with his charming and ultra-friendly stage presence. Looking like a punk version of George Michael with a single dangly cross earring and a hand-painted leather jacket, Yarger charged around the stage, dancing and laughing from beginning to end. For the last song, Yarger jumped off stage into the photo pit, sitting on the rail of the stage barrier and singing in the crowd, ending the set by running back and forth to a line of outstretched hands for high fives.
Clearly taking full advantage of their headlining slot, the The Frights decorated the stage like the cover of their newest album, Hypochondriac, with lamps and suitcases stacked and scattered among the amps and instruments to give the venue a warm and cozy feel. By 8:00pm, just as it was finally beginning to feel like a Friday night, the lights dimmed and the band walked on stage, kicking things off with “Kids.” Other highlights from their setlist included “CRUTCH” and “Me And We And I,” both from Hypochondriac, as well as some of their older hits such as “All I Need” and “Submarines.”
Towards the end of the set, everyone but vocalist/guitarist Mikey Carnevale left the stage, who remained to play a few acoustic songs. Once the rest of the band was gone, Carnevale took a moment to look out into the crowd, humbly noting how, “We used to play basements, and now we play for 1,200 people!” But Carnevale’s solo set wasn’t all feelings and emotions. After one song, he picked up a plastic cup full of wine and jokingly glared at the crowd, stating, “I’m not chugging wine, I’m not chugging it. It’s a real bitch! I’m not doing that,” which he was goaded into gulping down moments later, commenting, “Great thanks a lot. Tomorrow Baltimore will pay for that.”
After Carnevale finished, he walked off stage, only to return moments later with the rest of the band for a three song encore. And as fans began singing and dancing along to “Tungs,” two huge wacky waving inflatable tube men lit up the sides of the stage, causing the floor to erupt into total chaos for the remainder of the show.
See below for photos from the show (in order: The Frights, HUNNY, and Hot Flash Heat Wave):