Man, Cloud Nothings really know how to make an impression. Seeing them for the first time at The Sinclair last night and I definitely woke up this morning humming the bridge to “I’m Not Part of Me”. In a night full of miscues, both human and technical in nature, Cloud Nothings rose up above all else to take the crowd at The Sinclair by storm with their definitive fervor and heartfelt sincerity that still rings true hours later. I’m also pretty sure more than a few people in the crowd are currently sore from the energetic mosh pit that followed.
Allston locals Chandos started the night off with a bit of a sputter. Having a bit of an awkward pause on stage before jumping into their first song, the shirt came off both figuratively and literally after that. The overall sound felt sharp and measured, but you could tell the guys were having a little bit of fun going through their set. Running into a few hiccups in between songs along the way jumbled the pace a bit, but Chandos really shined in the interplay between verses, which would become a theme for the night.
Detroit punk rockers Tyvek quickly jumped up next, running right into their first song seconds after a quick sound check. Despite being from the Midwest, Tyvek’s straight-forward garage-rock sound felt right at home in Boston/Cambridge. Blowing out their bass drum mid-set and having to awkwardly switch it out for Cloud Nothing’s bass drum, the band played it off well, joking about their $15 t-shirts and how cool they were. Tempo changes both in between songs and during were all the craze apparently for Tyvek, who drew comparisons to legendary punk bands like Suicide Machines at times.
Where Chandos and Tyvek stumbled a bit, Cloud Nothings really stepped into their own and took over the hearts and minds of the crowd when they took the stage. Starting with “Now Hear In” and “Stay Useless”, the crowd was definitely feeling it, going wild right from the start. Despite not living in a world of ruthless aggression as most bands that would warrant that response, Cloud Nothings brought out the mosh pit that no one really expected. Trimmed moustaches, plaid collared shirts, and horn-rimmed glasses aren’t exactly what one normally pictures when one tries to imagine a crowdsurfer at a show. And yet, they popped up as vocalist/guitarist Dylan Baldi sang about feeling so utterly unreal.
One tangible strength of Cloud Nothings that shined through was their use of the space in between songs. Where the previous bands had struggled a bit to manage it, Cloud Nothings showed their growing veteran experience and skills by expertly managing and living through those spaces. As a result, transitions between songs never dropped the crowd’s energy and bridges and outros really shined throughout the set. That isn’t to say that there weren’t visible peaks in the musical landscape that Cloud Nothings put out. You most definitely could tell the crowd popped a bit when “I’m Not Part of Me” peeked out. But the hidden strengths of the set really laid in Cloud Nothings’ longer endeavors like “Pattern Walks” and “Wasted Days”, which the band ended their regular set with before jumping back on stage quickly to end the night with the relatively simmered choice of “No Future/No Past”. Perhaps Cloud Nothings wisely wanted to give the crowd a bit of their breath back before making their way back home, hungry for more.