Boston was buzzing last Tuesday–––and not just because the Red Sox clinched the American League East title over the Yankees that night. And while for many baseball fans, the decision of choosing between a playoff game and a concert would be an easy one, White Denim threw them a curveball.
Opening for White Denim were New York jazz-fusion trio Rotem. Despite initially walking on stage to an almost empty venue, the band wasn’t shaken at all. In fact, Rotem barely even looked up as they checked their instruments and then began to play. Guitarist Rotem Sivan immediately piqued people’s interest as he produced chirping bird sounds and 8-bit tunes from an assortment of electronic devices glued to this guitar. But it was bassist Eva Lawitts who really set the tone for the night, letting out a mighty distortion-filled rumble that literally shook the room. Combined with the tumultuous playing of drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell, the trio’s set was non-stop fun, perfectly complimenting the sound of White Denim soon to come.
By the time Rotem finished, the venue had magically transformed from empty to full. White Denim appeared on stage by 9:00, locked in and ready to rock. Led by the voracious energy of vocalist/guitarist James Petralli, the band blasted fans with their unique brand of bluesy psychedelic rock for nearly two hours. Keeping banter to a minimum, the band only stopped occasionally to adjust their gear, with Petralli grinning apologetically as he shook a pool of sweat from the microphone. At one point nothing seemed to be going right, as Petralli’s guitar began to crackle and pop and bassist Steve Terebecki’s monitor kicked out, but the band carried on like pros, with Petralli grunting, “Fuck it, I guess this is what it’s gonna sound like for the rest of the night.” Rather than the typical off-stage and back on encore, White Denim played a nearly seamless set, with Petralli only walking off stage momentarily to change guitars for the final few songs.
See below for photos from the show (in order: White Denim and Rotem):