Sidney Gish
I very unfortunately couldn’t make it to the show on time to catch Gladie’s set, but I was very pleased to be able to see Sidney Gish grace the stage just before Jeff Rosenstock.
She stood in the centre stage with her guitar and a few pedals. Her set was so sweet; I loved every minute of it! And based on the singing and cheers coming from the audience, I know I wasn’t the only one to feel that way.
Sidney Gish proved to be very charismatic on stage; she joked around with her audience and, despite the very brief technical difficulty with one of her pedals, performed with great poise. Her voice sounded amazing as she sang her down-to-earth and playfully relatable lyrics. Her set mainly consisted of songs from her 2017 album No Dogs Allowed, save for “Presumably Dead Arm,” which is from her 2016 album Ed Buys Houses. They’re both really enjoyable projects, nostalgic in an early 2000s indie way with fun and catchy lyrics. I recommend giving them a listen if you haven’t already!
Jeff Rosenstock
If you were to pick a song to cover to start your setlist for a live show, which song would you pick? I’d probably choose “Kiss It Better” by Rihanna. Jeff Rosenstock wouldn’t say the same, as he chose “Chop Suey!” by System of a Down, which was a phenomenal decision! It immediately got the crowd moving and singing and really built everyone’s excitement for the rest of his set.
This show was filled with really excellent moments between the audience and artist. Jeff Rosenstock knows his audience well, and this set got every single person in the room hyped up full of energy, wishing for the show to never end. Rosenstock and his band had a crazy energy; they all danced and thrashed around while playing their instruments, clearly just having a ton of fun while on stage. People in the crowd were moshing, crowd surfing, and singing along to pretty much each and every song; their voices filled up the entire venue.
The setlist included many songs from Rosenstock’s 2023 album HELLMODE, such as “HEAD,” “LIKED U BETTER,” and “FUTURE IS DUMB.” This album wasn’t my absolute favourite of Rosenstock’s work, but hearing these songs live really gave them new life as I listened to them to write this review.
Jeff Rosenstock and his bandmates had great chemistry together, both while playing and while bantering with the crowd. They cracked jokes together, and even if the joke didn’t land, they still laughed together. They played excellently as well; they never missed a beat and just sounded so great. There are a lot of songs of Rosenstock’s that include the crowd’s voice, and he made sure to encourage his audience to clap along or howl as loud as they could to “Festival Song.” All attendees listened to his every word, helping him to create beautiful and memorable moments during the show.
Things really picked up once we got closer to the end of the setlist; that’s when Jeff Rosenstock and his band played some widely loved songs such as “Hey Allison!,” “You, In Weird Cities,” and one of my personal favourites, “9/10.” Not gonna lie, “9/10” brought my eyes to tear up a bit, and I’m not ashamed to admit that! Everyone who had a lighter in their pocket held it up and sparked a flame, slowly waving them side to side along to this beautiful song. It truly was a sight to see, and I’m glad I saw it with my own eyes (even if my sight was blurred by the tears).
Next thing I knew, about an hour and a half flew right by, and Jeff Rosenstock took his leave with his bandmates right behind him. Of course, that prompted some crazy loud cheering from the audience, desperately doing all they could to entice Jeff back on stage.
As planned, the cheering worked, and Jeff Rosenstock made his way back to perform a couple more songs along with his band. I really don’t think he could’ve picked better songs for his encore. He started off with “Pash Rash,” bringing the crowd’s energy up another level before performing “We Begged 2 Explode,” which I think is one of the best songs ever written, and I am not taking criticism on that! The vibe in the venue completely shifted; every band member gave it their absolute all during that last song, and the audience nearly overpowered Jeff’s screaming voice as they shouted his lyrics right back at him. Four minutes of chaotic bliss. The crowd cheered as Jeff Rosenstock and his band took their leave for the last time that night and left Beanfield on a crazy high note. I don’t know what everyone else did, but my friends and I immediately left to go get a couple of hotdogs, and I don’t think my night could’ve ended any better.
Review – Jamie Siddall
Photos – Alex Distaulo
