I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (stylized in shorthand as iDKHOW) spent their Friday evening with a sold-out crowd at Big Night Live. The SLC group, led by Dallon Weekes, released their highly anticipated sophomore outfit, GLOOM DIVISION, this past February on Concord Records.
Rising from the ashes of other bands, including Panic! At The Disco, Falling in Reverse and The Brobecks, Dallon Weekes started iDKHOW in secret with former Brobecks drummer, Ryan Seaman. Weekes spent his spare time writing the skeletons of songs before bringing them back to Utah to flesh them out with Seaman, turning each one into its own eclectic arrangement that would come to define the sound of their band.
Weekes and his band took the stage and immediate command of the room as they ripped into “Leave Me Alone” off their debut LP. It was clear from the setlist that Weekes took care with curating a show that covered the entire span of their discography, even including a couple popular songs from his days in The Brobecks. “We’re going to take a break from the invisible piano and saxophone players to play some old songs with just what you see here on the stage,” Weekes said as he introduced his band and segued into “Cluster Hug.” They played another Brobecks song, “Visitation of the Ghost,” but added some modern twists, teasing “HOT TO GO” and “Please Please Please” before getting back to the song and wrapping their sold-out show with a bang.
iDKHOW continues in the IMPENDING GLOOM tour through the midwest before closing out in Omaha, NE right before Thanksgiving.
Worcester-born Alisan Porter has seemingly lived multiple lifetimes, with many of her dreams having already come true. She won Star Search at the age of 5, starred in a John Hughes film, and won The Voice in 2016.
It’s her actual dreams though which can be found on this year’s Americana EP The Ride. “‘In dream, [the song] will be on a loop,” Porter says.
“So, for instance, [the song] ‘Meant For Me,’ I woke up with, ‘Every night I lie awake, my head spins like a storm, the only thing that calms me down is laying in your arms…’ and then woke up and literally the beginning of this EP was that.“
Alisan Porter designed The Ride to focus more on country and Americana than her previous discography, thereby setting herself up for the future. “Americana is just, it lends itself to a lot of things, right? Like, you can age in it, number one. You can sing a lot of different ways in it, number two. And it’s storytelling, which is like my favorite thing ever. So I think it makes the most sense for me. I don’t really want to wear booty shorts and high boots. I think that ship has sailed. But I’m happy to just wear a dress and some cowboy boots, you know and be old and sing these kind of ageless songs that everybody can relate to.”
“Rivers Dry” is a piano ballad opener, which dovetails nicely from the last track on her last album Pink Cloud, a through line between the two. “Nothing’s Broken” is a festival ready romp that sounds ready to be dropped in any episode of the “Yellowstone” universe. The soulful, vocal acrobatic title-track anchors the record in the three spot, while “Bleedin’” plods along at a deathly pace. “See In The Dark” and “Meant For Me” are tailwinds that send The Ride out into the sunset.
So how does Porter make the dreams come alive? Natural talent and training from an early age sure but one of the keys is her lifelong ability to seize the moment when she needs it most.
When remembering the blind audition on The Voice, the made-for-tv-moment where Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Pharrell are clamoring over themselves to hit the buzzers to see who is singing, Alisan recalls:
“Yeah, you hear [the buzzers] it’s very hard not to be emotional at that time, so I was like, ‘just keep singing, just keep singing, just keep singing’…So much had happened previous to me walking back kind of into the fire. I was like, if it’s not the bomb, we’re not doing it. So every time I stepped on that stage, it was like a do or die situation for me.”
We caught Adrianne Lenker on the final day of her sold-out two night stay in Boston at the Shubert, supported by Suzanne Vallie. Night two’s setlist included plenty of stripped-down Big Thief songs, including “Born for Loving You” and “The Only Place”. Adrianne included favorites from her 2020 album songs, along with plenty from Bright Future, released earlier this year. Standout “Sadness as a Gift”, featured accompaniments from Nick Hakim and Josefin Runsteen. She also welcomed Jamaica Plain native (and friend) Mary Elizabeth Remington on stage, covering Remington’s song “Tuesday”.
She was born in Missoula, Montana; she currently lives in Los Angeles, but her heart is from outer space. Rising pop star MARIS has been blessing earthlings with new music all summer long after a breakout performance at Boston Calling in May and made her return to the Bay State this past week in support of indie-soul band Melt with local opener Hush Club. Fresh off the release of a stripped version of 2022’s “Heavenly Bodies” and her new single “Chameleon” (which she previewed for the Boston Calling crowd), MARIS came back bigger and stronger than before – and she’s finally able to talk about the long-awaited debut album.
Bursting onto the stage in a tear-away astronaut costume, MARIS doesn’t waste any time connecting to the audience as she leans down to sing with the front row. Often handing them the mic to share the spotlight and reacting gleefully as audience members recite her own lyrics back to her before accepting gifts —and bras—from eager attendees. It’s clear this is an individual who finds purpose in sharing their art with others and encouraging them to participate in as many ways as possible—an apt trait for a burgeoning talent, but not something that is always evident within the pop sphere. At a MARIS show, everyone is involved and everyone is welcome.
With her tour winding down, she finds herself gearing up for the new year. With more shows and much more music on the way, we sat down (virtually) to discuss the past year, meeting fans on the road and we even get a little sneak peek at the album, due out next year. Watch the full interview & make sure to check out our full gallery from the Melt/MARIS/Hush Club show shot by Greg Wong below!
In a night filled with passionate fan singalongs and unexpected technical hiccups, Orla Gartland proved why she’s become one of indie music’s most beloved rising stars. The Irish singer-songwriter packed Somerville’s Arts at the Armory to the rafters, delivering a set that showcased both her newest material and the songs that started it all.
Opening the evening was Emma Harner, who set the perfect tone with her stripped-down solo acoustic performance. Harner, who released her new single “Do It” at midnight following the show, brought an endearing authenticity to the stage. Most memorably, she wasn’t afraid to let her geek-flag-fly, as she performed multiple songs inspired by the animated series Voltron.
When Gartland took the stage, her pink Telecaster gleaming under the lights, she dove deep into her recently released album Everybody Needs a Hero, which dropped last month. But she didn’t forget the day-one fans, peppering the setlist with tracks reaching back to her 2011 beginnings. In a particularly creative twist, Gartland introduced a fan-made “wheel of fortune” featuring her entire discography. A lucky audience member was brought onstage to spin the wheel, adding an element of surprise to the setlist and creating an intimate connection between artist and audience.
Even when the venue’s sound system decided to act up, the show never lost it’s momentum. If anything, the technical difficulties only highlighted the dedication of Gartland’s fanbase – every time the sound cut out, the crowd seamlessly picked up the slack, their voices filling the venue with word-perfect renditions of her lyrics.
The night’s standout moments included a stirring performance of “Why Am I Like This?” – a song that gained widespread recognition through it’s feature in the hit show Heartstopper. One of the closing numbers, “Late to the Party,” truly brought down the house, with the entire crowd jumping in unison and creating the kind of electric atmosphere that reminds you why live music is irreplaceable.
Throughout the evening, Gartland demonstrated why she’s graduated from YouTube covers to selling out venues: she’s an artist who creates genuine connections with her audience, turning technical difficulties into memorable moments and transforming a concert into a communal experience.
Check out all of Nathan’s photos from the show below.
Some days we feel mellow and reserved, other days we just want to kick and scream until we pass out. After touring two albums that reflect both of these feelings, Los Angeles born Sasami Ashworth is ready for a new feeling. On her new album as SASAMI, Blood on the Silver Screen, the multi-instrumentalist finds herself in pop territory, delivering her most playful and fun release to date. Before she swings through Boston for a night at the Paradise Rock Club, the “Slugger” singer chatted with us about the transition between releases, the challenges of being a solo artist and having her mind blown by pimento cheese in Georgia.
Allston Pudding: Your first album, Sasami was more introspective and meditative, and you had credited the lockdown as part of the inspiration for the shift to dark metal for your second album. What was the driving force between Squeeze and Blood on the Silver Screen?
SASAMI: When I toured my first album back in 2018 we were still having a lot of older boomer-generation front of house engineers that were always telling me that my voice was too quiet, my guitar amp was too loud and obviously that just resulted in me making my amps much louder and getting into even louder guitar music. My first album was pretty mellow, but it was just getting heavier and heavier and I was adding more and more distortion, making my drummer play harder beats and then I was like “oh maybe there’s something here”. That was how Squeeze ended up being inspired by nu metal. With Squeeze, there’s so many moments where I would put screaming vocals in my backing track trying to keep myself from screaming so much live, but the second I hear a double kick pedal I just become possessed and generally start screaming anyway. By the end of tour, my voice was so fucked and I got scared that I had polyps or nodules. There’s a way you’re supposed to scream and then there’s screaming like someone’s murdering you and I only scream like someone’s murdering me. I was like “Oh, I should probably write a record that doesn’t make me wanna scream so much if I wanna have a long career in singing.” So I was very intentional about making a song based record. I just wanted to make something that was a bit more lighthearted and fun and playful.
Blood On the Silver Screen Artwork
AP: As an artist who has found success moving between genres and sounds, how much of that process is freeing and, if it all, do you feel any pressure moving ahead to keep shifting?
S: I think there’s definitely two sides to the coin being a solo artist. One, I can literally do whatever the fuck I want, because I only have to answer to myself, which is awesome because I get really controlling and I get a lot of ideas. Then sometimes I just find really amazing musicians and collaborators that I wanna work with and it’s in a different style. But having to do all the interviews by myself and be creatively in charge of so many different things can be really exhausting. When I had been in a band, we were like soldiers together and you feel a little bit more invincible because there’s a team there. You can hype each other up a lot but with my job, I have to hype myself up all the time and I have to tell myself that what I’m doing is worth putting all of my energy into. I only do this job so I don’t have to do any other job to be honest. I don’t think I was born needing to do this but I am the type of person that if I’m gonna do something I put my whole ass into it, just like if I was a preschool teacher, I would put my whole ass into arts and crafts.
AP: In the effort of putting your whole ass into everything and especially your live performances, do you have any trustworthy vocal warm-ups or remedies that you’ve adopted?
S: Yeah, I definitely use a vaporizer, like a steam inhaler. That’s a game changer. Which I didn’t get to use it last night and I really need to get to the venue early enough to use it today. And I do the classic Jacob‘s Vocal Academy warm-up exercises, those really get the job done. But the other thing I have to mention are warm downs, because that’s the other side of things I always have to remember.
AP: You’ve mentioned your family and upbringing being a source of inspiration, has there been any notable reactions from your family to your music?
S: Yeah, my dad was pretty disturbed by the concept of Squeeze early on, and I had to really explain to him. He is a boomer and went to Altamont and Woodstock and saw the Hells Angels beating up hippies, so he’s not for music that incites violence at all. So he was pretty disturbed that I was making an album that was very intentionally drawing on violent imagery and making an outlet for having a cathartic experience that’s tied to violence and rage. It just took me kind of explaining to him the way that art functions, that we can have this expressive experience without actually harming anyone. It’s just part of human nature, we have violence and rage inside us but there’s a way to release those expressions in a way that’s not harmful. I always thought that going to punk or metal shows, or seeing horror films, doing laser tag, humans have found lots of non-violent ways to scratch those itches. To me, Squeeze was creating a physical space for people to express those feelings of rage.
AP: Similarly, how were the crowd reactions when you were opening for artists like Mitski or HAIM?
S: Those two in specific were so different. The Mitski crowds were younger, she had a lot of TikTok fans at the time. I could sense that they had never even seen a metal band in their life. A lot of those people were having a double kick pedal awakening, which was super exciting and electrifying to be a part of. I don’t think any of them had seen an Asian woman with a metal band behind them before. Additionally, the Mitski shows were indoor venues that were really dark with lighting, whereas the HAIM shows were in stadiums where I was sometimes performing in daylight. It was a little bit of a harder sell. The Mitski crowds are very emotional no matter what the emotion is, and HAIM’s crowds were a little bit more laid-back. But that was really fun too cause I definitely think there were a lot of people in the crowd that had never seen the type of music that we were playing. The HAIM crowd took a little bit longer scratching their heads, whereas the Mitski crowd skipped scratching their heads and went straight into screaming.
AP: Just got fully into it, I love that.
S: I fucking love the youth. I hate a 21+ show because, we remember when we were teenagers, those shows changed our lives. When you’re a kid and you go to a show, it really changes your outlook. Not that you can’t do that when you’re older, but everything kind of shakes you differently when you’re a teenager.
AP: What song on Blood on the Silver Screen are you most excited to perform live?
S: I’ve started playing those songs a lot already and I really love playing “Smoke” and “Nothing But A Sad Face On.” This is the first time I’ve ever brought my French horn on tour. Obviously, I play guitar and drums, but the French horn is kind of my one true love, but I’ve always been nervous because it’s such a delicate instrument. I’m getting better about being organized and having trustworthy bandmates that help on the road, so it’s been fun having my baby with me.
AP: I’m excited to see that live because “Nothing But A Sad Face On” is one of my favorites on your new album, so that’s great to hear as a fan & listener.
S: Amazing! I love hearing that.
AP: As a Bostonian as well, I was curious how did you come to work with Clairo?
S: Claire and I are just fans of each other and have a bunch of mutual friends. We both worked with Rostam and Dave Fridmann, so we have a lot of mutual collaborators and mutual respect. I think with Claire also being in her woodwind era and me forever being a French horn girly, there’s kind of this nerdy girl connection and I just think the world of her, she’s so talented.
AP: I had read that you grew up singing karaoke with your family and you had mentioned Britney Spears, so I was curious what’s your favorite Britney song to sing?
S: It’s interesting because, being a professional performer doing karaoke, I kind of hate doing it now. I perform all the time and so, if I do karaoke now, I like to share the mic. Usually I like to do the sing-along crowd pleasers, where we’re all screaming. I feel like I’m always doing “Toxic” or “…Baby One More Time” – one of the classics.
“Honeycrash” Single Artwork
AP: Where is your favorite city that you’ve performed in, or what’s your favorite food you’ve had on the road?
S: Ooooh that’s a great question. This is so crazy and isn’t necessarily even my favorite food, but I had an interesting food experience in Savannah, Georgia. This kind of answers both questions because I love Savannah. It’s supposedly haunted, but I’ve always had an enlightening or electrifying experience when I’m down there and this is crazy because I’m lactose intolerant, but I had pimento cheese at this festival once and it kind of blew my mind. If anything was worth getting extremely gassy for, it’s pimento cheese. Insane. But, I don’t mean shitty grocery store pimento cheese, I mean like someone’s southern Mom made it.
AP: I feel like the lactose intolerance probably played a part in that. It’s almost like a forbidden fruit.
S: Exactly, it’s like a novel product but you know how there’s some things that get more popular as a shitty processed food, and then when you taste the homemade original, you’re like “oh, this is how it’s supposed to be.” Like the difference between having grocery store sushi and going to a restaurant. I just remember it blowing my mind.
AP: Just a fully elevated experience, I totally get that.
S: Because I’m from California, I’m always eating kale salads and quinoa. Just extremely cliché because I’m such a healthy eater. So whenever I go to the south and I try certain foods I’m like, duh chicken pot pies are insane and fried chicken is the best thing I’ve ever had. So when I’m on tour I just end up eating food I don’t normally get like “oh right, this is why people make fun of Californians for eating kale all the time.”
AP: Hey, California has the right idea, but there is something to be said for Southern comfort food.
S: Oh my God, incredible.
For more information on Sasami, click here. Check out the new album “Blood on the Silver Screen”, available on March 7th.
Mandy Lee of Misterwives performs at House of Blues Boston.
‘Twas the night before Halloween – Mischief Night as some may refer to it, and NYC-born pop band Misterwives returned to Boston for another night of high energy stage antics, danceable bops and plenty of frightful gags. Stopping by on their “Just For One Night(mare)” tour, the quintet recruited bands Moody Joody and Joan to open the evening.
Moody Joody perform at House of Blues Boston.
Kicking off with Moody Joody, a “girl group… plus one guy” from Nashville, the trio came dressed as retro space cadets & martians before introducing the Boston area audience to their modest discography of dance pop. “Are you ready to go to space with us?”, asked lead singer Kayla Hall with their bright green antennae bobbing back and forth, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Having just released their first EP Dream Girl on November 8th, the band feels fresh while maintaining a campy nostalgia for years of pop gone by with songs “Velvet Connection”, “Ground Control” and “El Camino High.” Hall & guitarist Kaitie Forbes were fully capable of busting through any young band anxieties and appealed to the crowd with charming crowd banter and engagement. The set revealed yet another promising band on the rise, eager to keep growing bigger for the next performance.
Joan performs at House of Blues Boston.
Keeping with the upbeat pop vibe, Little Rock, AR based duo Joan took the stage next. Dressed as cops & robbers, the crowd went wild for songs “drive all night”, “so good” and recent single “heart body mind soul.” Giving flashes of The 1975 and Wallows with their synth pop/rock sound and romantic lyrics, it’s easy to see the duo’s appeal to a younger crowd such as the one packed into the House of Blues. “Hold on we’re getting some breaking news, my producer just handed me, this is big… Boston is slaying,” remarked vocalist Alan Benjamin Thomas to the eager crowd, a commendable amount of whom also came dressed in their Halloween best.
With the ghosts & goblins in the crowd suitably riled up, the final act finally emerged onto the stage. As gravestones, lanterns and cobwebs were draped around the stage and “Monster Mash” and the Addams’ Family theme played in the pre-show, it came as no surprise to see Misterwives vocalist Mandy Lee & co. dressed as Wednesday, Fester, Morticia & the rest of the gang. The band immediately launched into a set consisting of tracks from their four studio albums and various singles. Standouts included underrated banger “Where Do We Go From Here?”, recent hit “Nosebleeds” and fan favorites “Reflections” and “Our Own House.” Lee remains one of the best performers around in pop music, rivaling the likes of Hayley Williams and Robyn with her nearly relentless energy and vocals. “I can’t headbang in this fucking wig and it’s driving me crazy,” admitted Lee before powering through any follicular restraints to keep the show going smoothly. A stacked evening of booty-shaking pop music & Halloween hoots n’ hollers, Misterwives provided a heaping helping of thrills alongside openers Moody Joody and Joan.
Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below.
For more information you can follow Moody Joody here, keep up with Joan here and stay up to date with Misterwives here.
2024 is Tinashe’s year. After wrapping up her successful tour promoting BB/ANG3L in February, Tinashe took the world by storm with the hit single “Nasty.” The flirtatious lyrics and crisp vocal hook created both an earworm and a cultural phenomenon, as social media captions flooded with the lyrics, “is somebody gonna match my freak?” She held the momentum and dropped Quantum Baby, a cohesive album with equally playful and provocative songs. After performing at the Royale in February of 2024, Tinashe wowed fans at MGM Music Hall on November 6, a venue with almost 4x the capacity.
Singer-songwriter Raveena began the night with her ethereal set. A gorgeous blossom tree sat in the middle of the stage, with green grass and glowing orbs at the bottom. The lights dimmed, and Raveena emerged in a flowy lavender-colored dress, twirling to the music. Prisms and jewels hung from the branches that Raveena interacted with while performing dreamy R&B and pop music. She performed catchy songs like “Mystery,” which compelled the audience to sway to the guitar riffs. The singer shared that she would stop by the merchandise tables to meet fans after her set, and escaped backstage.
Fans erupted with cheers when the lights finally dimmed again. Five tall poles filled with a variety of cameras lined the stage, creating camera trees. The lights strobed as “Getting No Sleep” buzzed in the speakers. Tinashe emerged in a black leather jacket, green shirt, and plaid skirt with faux fur. Four dancers trailed behind and immediately dove into intricate choreography. Tinashe executed each move flawlessly in line with her dancers, highlighting the instrumentals of each track. Her presence infused energy into the venue, with the singer strutting around the stage and making eye contact with fans. Tinashe created an immersive performance, at one point filming herself with a camcorder that displayed on the screen. The choreography enhanced the sensuality of every song, highlighting what makes Tinashe’s live shows an unparalleled experience. If you haven’t already, make sure to catch Tinashe live before the Match My Freak World Tour ends in February. Buy tickets here.
Check out all of Samantha’s photos from the show below.
Consider this my petition for emo legends Foxing to have a permanent residency at the Sinclair. On the last Sunday of October, the band celebrated yet another sold out show at the Cambridge venue. This time it was to promote their newest self-titled record. Opening the show was From Indian Lakes, who also had a new record to perform, and Rhode Island locals Gollylagging. Although Foxing came to play new music, the setlist took fans through the 13 year history of the group. Their sound has changed dramatically since their first album, The Albatross, but everything flowed together seamlessly. The peak of the night was when guitarist Eric Hudson started screaming the words to the most energetic track off of the new record, “Hell 99.” The crowd erupted and chanted along as the band flailed around the stage. During some of the slower songs, like the stripped down version of “Eiffel”, there were a few tears on cheeks in the audience. If there’s one thing Foxing can do perfectly, it’s put on an emotional whirlwind of a set.
Check out all of Emily’s photos from the show below.
“I’ve been told I’m an aggressive singer. My response to that? Correct.” When Gracie Lawrence gave this line to a sold-out crowd at MGM Music Hall in Boston, it wasn’t just a quip, it was a declaration. For all the recent social media discourse about her vocal style, Gracie is proudly embracing her theater kid energy and at times over-the-top vocals. Saturday night’s audience was here for every moment of it.
The evening began with Stephen Day, who’s riding high on the August release of his latest album, Gold Mine. Day’s set demonstrated why he was the perfect choice to open this tour, including a surprisingly well-received performance of his new holiday track “It’s Christmas All Over.” While November 2nd might seem premature for Christmas music, the crowd’s enthusiastic response suggested otherwise. Day closed his set with his hit “Hey Lady,” showcasing his impressive vocal range and getting the entire venue dancing.
When Lawrence took the stage, it was immediately apparent that this wasn’t the same band that I saw co-headline a tour with Misterwives at Leader Bank Pavilion two years ago. The production value escalated dramatically, from the elaborate set design to the pre-recorded Family Business teaser videos playing throughout the show. Yet amid all the elevated production, the band’s infectious energy – their signature trait – remained wonderfully intact. While their style can be overwhelming at times, the connection between Lawrence and their fans was undeniable.
The setlist was a carefully curated journey through their discography, featuring tracks from their latest album Family Business alongside beloved hits from the Hotel TV era and beyond. In a particularly memorable moment, the crowd’s cheers determined which song would be performed next, with “Freckles” from Hotel TV winning the live poll.
During the show, Gracie addressed what some might consider the album’s greatest challenge – its varied musical styles. “We worried about how different each song felt on Family Business,” she admitted. “But what we’ve learned from you all is that this variety is exactly what you love about the album.” This diversity was on full display throughout the night, from high-energy brass-heavy numbers to intimate emotional moments.
One of the evening’s most powerful sequences came when the band seamlessly wove “Funeral” into the middle of “Death of Me.” The venue fell into complete silence as Clyde and Gracie performed “Funeral” as a duo, demonstrating Gracie’s commanding stage presence and the audience’s rapt attention.
The band even managed to work in a cover of NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me,” giving their talented brass section a chance to shine while the entire audience belted out the familiar lyrics. As a nice touch to celebrate the tour’s final stop, Lawrence treated Boston to a double encore: their classic “Heartburn Song” followed by “Watcha Want,” their recent breakthrough into the Top 40 – an impressive achievement for an independent band.
For this brother-sister duo and their six-piece backing band (or as they call it: their chosen family), the future looks brighter than ever as they truly embody the title of their album. This band really is a family business in every sense of the word.
Check out all of Hannah’s photos from the show below.
