When it comes to modern rock, what’s old is new, and last week’s Car Seat Headrest show at Royale was no exception. A young and ultra-devoted audience packed the house not long after 7pm to watch Seattle rock trio Naked Giants open the show, followed by a 7-person performance by the members of Car Seat Headrest (CSH) and Naked Giants combined.
In 2018, CSH re-released their 2011 full-length album Twin Fantasy with Matador Records. The original songs, written and recorded by CSH vocalist Will Toledo, received an update adding a full band and a more produced sound equal to Toledo’s first aspirations for the album. Naked Giants have toured consistently with CSH following the debut of their studio album SLUFF in early 2018. Valentine’s Day at Royale marked the first day of their month-long winter tour down the east coast.
Naked Giants opened the show to an eager and awaiting crowd. Donning Doc Martens and denim blue jeans under the blinding white stage lights, they brought a larger-than-life, psych rock meets garage punk energy that had the audience bouncing off each other like rubber bands by the second song (“TV”). The crowd sang along to favorites, “Everybody Thinks They Know (But No One Really Knows)” and “Yaya,” and became an undulating mass as guitarist Grant Mullen took the mic for “Twist.” Songs from their 2019 EP, Green Fuzz, were equally embraced by the rowdy crowd. Drummer Henry LaVallee tore through sticks so quickly that he handed them out to the front row like roses after the set. Bassist/vocalist Gianni Aiello teased a “very special announcement” for later in the show, leaving some wondering if it would have anything to do with the holiday.
The house lights went up and softer music pumped through the venue until Car Seat Headrest took to stage a bit later than expected. The crowd was practically sick with anticipation, clapping at every break in the house music, hoping the band would take the stage. Fans erupted in excitement as the 7-person band formed amidst an epic light show of swirling greens, blues, and reds in a transgenerational patchwork of style choices. Will Toledo wore a modern striped shirt and baggy joggers, stitched next to guitarist Ethan Ives’ 70’s-inspired tasseled denim jacket and western boots, with drummer Andrew Katz sporting a simple t-shirt and headband.
The musical choices in their live performance comprised a similar blend of 60’s, 70’s, and mid 00’s styles – from the emotionally honest but jaded Sea Wolf-esque vocal delivery, to the mid-show rendition of “Powderfinger” by Neil Young, to the signature CSH tongue-in-cheek lyricism that strongly resonates with late millennials. It was a mosaic that, when taken together, made for a set that was both entertaining and nostalgic, electrifying and unnameably familiar.
The band played a handful of hits mostly from Twin Fantasy and their earlier album, Teens of Denial. The floor shook as every person in the crowd jumped to “Bodys,” “Fill in the Blank,” and “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales.” New songs were well-received although difficult to discern in the vocal mix amidst the other instruments. The very special announcement teased earlier in the show turned out to be a prom proposal from one audience member to another, delivered on stage by Aiello mid-set. Love was alive in the crowd as the show surged on in alternating waves of introspection and emotional catharsis, ending with the song “Destroyed By Hippie Powers” in which a number of crowd surfers were intercepted before hitting the stage. The band quickly exited and calls for an encore rang through the room. The audience chanted “Beach Life-in-Death!” and their wishes were fulfilled as Toledo and the band came back for one last song.
The internet age allows us to journey backwards through time to the styles and influences of previous generations, which Car Seat Headrest and Naked Giants have done with aptitude in their music. The energy of their live performance pulled from the high-slung guitars and dance moves of the ‘60’s, the classic rock of the 70’s, and the emotional honesty of indie rock in the mid 00’s to create something that resonates powerfully with their devoted audience.
See photos from the show below (Car Seat Headrest and Naked Giants, respectively):