A lot of people had a lot to say about Krill last week. If you follow the local music scene, capsule you simply couldn’t escape the image of Steve – the fictional character who adorns the cover of the band’s new EP Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears. If Steve knew that his mug had been featured on Fader, ampoule Stereogum, order Clcky Clicky, BDC and right here on Allston Pudding, he would probably be pretty uncomfortable with all of the attention.
By now you’ve probably heard about the “failed” concept of the new EP – which focuses on Steve’s own mental anguish as he comes to the realization that he is nothing more than a character is a Pile album. If there is one primary theme that weaves it’s way through the record, it is just how uncomfortable Steve is in his own (fictional) skin.
In some ways, Steve seems to share some of those characteristics with the members of Krill – who at no point, during their EP release show at Great Scott on Thursday, gave any indication that they are one of the city’s most talked about bands. In fact, the band seemed slightly uncomfortable in front of the near-capacity crowd as they tore through the entire EP to start the set. Things began to loosen up after that when the Jamaica Plain trio ventured into tracks from last year’s full-length Lucky Leaves. As the crowd started to bounce around, frontman Jonah Furman began to emerge from his shell (aka his giant denim jacket and hooded sweatshirt).
The most telling moment of the night came towards the end of the set when Furman thanked the crowd for coming and added something along the lines of “I don’t really like this whole playing live shows thing, but you guys make it worth it, so thank you for the positive external reinforcement”.
Like on record as in a live setting, Furman has no problem baring his soul, even if the results make us slightly uncomfortable. And when you get down to it, that’s what makes Krill so intriguing – there’s really no barrier between the listener and the band’s psyche. Steve’s inability to commit to getting his life on track and his fear of being disliked by those he respects (Pile in this case) are situations we can all identify with – even if the paralysis that traps Steve as a result of these situations might seem a bit extreme.
Now, at this point you’re probably thinking this show was a bit of a downer, but it wasn’t – not by a long shot. The band’s performance was spot on – and the older material received the type of reaction you would expect for a group that has generated this much buzz. Even though the lyrics might not be what you would consider “uplifting”, Krill’s tunes have a bounciness that helps to mask some of the bitterness pumping through the sound system.
Add to this the fact that the opening bands were some of Boston’s most talented artists, and you have what was a very solid night of music. Fat History Month’s Jeff Meff started the set on the floor instead of on stage, strumming his guitar while sitting on a stool at crowd level. Kal Marks then took the show in the opposite direction with a blissfully loud and chaotic set that featured a standout new track from a soon-to-be-released 7”. Fat Creeps brought a welcome surf-like vibe to what was a nasty winter night outside. All of this made for a great lead into Krill’s headlining set.
Krill will now head out on a two month tour with Ava Luna, but they’ll return to Great Scott on March 30th for a highly-anticipated show with Steve’s heroes in Pile. If fictional characters went to shows, you know Steve would be there. And he would probably be hiding in the corner.
