JerkClub
Hailing from London, UK, the one-man band JerkCurb starts the night off. He captivated the audience’s attention with his lo-fi and dreamy vibe. He didn’t speak much to the crowd but let his music do all the talking.
The frontman had a very simplistic setup, consisting only of his guitar, a keyboard, and some pedals. He made great use of what he had and created an amazing space that prepared us for the main event. His music didn’t stray too far from King Krule’s sound and was very easily digestible for everyone in attendance.
I can only imagine how much his sound would be elevated if he had been accompanied by a full band. I’ll definitely be checking out his tunes!
King Krule
Being fairly new to King Krule‘s music, I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into a live performance. Frontman Archy Marshall took the stage with his band in the darkness. It wasn’t until a few songs in that we actually caught a proper glimpse of their faces, very reminiscent of a Beach House show.
Most of Krule’s songs are low-key and atmospheric. However, there’s plenty of punk influence that bleeds through, especially in a live setting. They opened with the track “Perfecto Miserable,” off the 2020 album “Man Alive!,” a song that falls under the more subdued side of Archy’s sound. It wasn’t until the track “Dum Surfer” that I started to notice some rumbling in the crowd. I didn’t think this would develop into anything more, but once the opening guitar riff of “Pink Shell” hit, someone came from behind and roped me into the middle of the floor. Needless to say, there ended up being a lot of movement throughout the show. I was able to migrate through the chaos all the way to the front of the crowd, where I enjoyed the latter half of the set.
One of my favourite King Krule songs is the opening track off his new album, “Flimsier.” Hearing the opening synth chords sent shivers down my spine and put this song on an entirely new level for me. This was one of the moments the entire audience was singing along at the top of their lungs, which surprised me, given how new this track is. The band was able to find a good balance between bringing high energy and getting everyone in their feels. I was totally along for the ride.
The inclusion of a saxophonist in the band was one of the highlights of the entire night for me. I appreciated the effort that was put in to make sure that they could perfectly recreate each song without using backing tracks or leaving any features out. This gave the band a lot more liberty to not only jam out but create completely new renditions of songs. Moments such as “Easy Easy” and “Out Getting Ribs,” whose studio versions are solo guitar songs, were now a full band affair. Hearing these two tracks, in particular, made me only want to listen to their live renditions from now on. They truly electrified the crowd.
I can definitely say that Krule’s discography is going to be one of the only things in my rotation for the next little while. I look forward to seeing them again soon!
Review – Michael Anestopoulos
Photos – Ryan Rumpel
