The latest instalment of Blue Skies Turn Black’s stellar spring lineup is a double-header of bands I’ve been wanting to see for a while, so I was thrilled to see them touring together on the same bill!
First up are Indianapolis 5-piece Wishy, and their first visit to Montreal. I had described them to a friend as “shoegazey” during one of our frequent muso chats, but I realize pretty quickly tonight that I’m way wide of the mark with that one! The sound is a real mix across the 10-song, 40-minute set, ranging from the emo of “Love on the Outside” and “Too True,” to the punky “Persuasion” and “Sick Sweet,” to bona fide grunge on closer “Spit,” with those dirty riffs that sound destined for bigger stages already.
Guitarists Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites provide harmonizing dual vocals throughout, though Nina switches out guitar for tambourine on “Triple Seven” and the breezy, sunshine indie pop of “Spinning.” Now we just need the grim Montreal weather to cooperate to complete that particular vibe! Roars of “Wishyyyyyyyyy!!!” between songs from an ever-so-slightly (!) tipsy group in the crowd suggest I’m not the only one who enjoys the set. A great debut!
Wishy Setlist
- Planet Popstar
- Persuasion
- Love on the Outside
- Fly
- Sick Sweet
- Honey
- Triple Seven
- Too True
- Spinning
- Spit
Hailing from Calabasas, California, Momma follow a similar pattern to Wishy in having two guitarists sharing vocals on almost every song—this time in the form of Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten. The vocals are soft, kinda Cocteau Twins, but perhaps leaning more towards Veruca Salt; kinda “shoegazey,” for real this time! So you’d expect a pretty chill show, right?
Wrong. It’s basically a mosh pit from start to finish, quite likely due to the tipsy gang mentioned earlier. After the mellow strums of “Sincerely” lay a false sense of calm to open the show, the place starts to go nuts with the rock-out that is “I Want You (Fever),” and keeps up through the distorted riffs of “Medicine,” and even the fairly chill “Ohio All the Time.” Not a particularly moshy song in my book, but it certainly is tonight.
That’s not to suggest that the crowd is just a group of intoxicated meatheads going nuts to whatever they hear. This is just a devoted group finally getting to see their heroes live; from what I can make out, this is Momma’s first show in Montreal too. The frequency and volume of the singalongs that accompany most of the set are testament to this, especially on “Stay All Summer” and “Bottle Blonde,” when the mosh momentarily subsides.
The band are clearly loving it too: Etta declares midway through the set, “In case you didn’t know, we’re having fun!”
“WE’RE HAVING FUN TOO, MOMMA!” is the reply from one guy in the crowd!
Having listened to Momma for a few years now, it feels almost like a greatest hits set, hearing all these songs for the first time, at the same time. “Bang Bang” is a standout—the breathy, ominous vocals contrasting with those driving riffs—while “Tall Home” sees Etta take vocal duties alone, her petite frame cutting a menacing PJ Harvey vibe. “Last Kiss” is my highlight of new album Welcome to My Blue Sky, and those monster guitars that explode around two minutes in are every bit as devastating live as they are on record.
The 70-minute set ends with the classic “Speeding 72,” and the manic crowd takes things up a notch, heaving back and forth, bodies falling onto the step in front of the stage, and one guy even crowd surfs back out into the crowd! Etta and Allegra laugh so hysterically at what’s happening, they can barely sing the middle verse, but manage to hold it together for the song’s conclusion.
As they leave the stage, Allegra effuses, “Thank you so much, that was awesome!” The cheers of the crowd return the sentiment. What a night!
Momma Setlist
- Sincerely
- I Want You (Fever)
- Medicine
- Ohio All the Time
- Stay All Summer
- New Friend
- Bottle Blonde
- Derby
- Bang Bang
- Biohazard
- Tall Home
- How to Breathe
- Last Kiss
- Motorbike
- Welcome to My Blue Sky
- Rodeo
Encore
17. Sunday (Narrow Head cover)
18. Speeding 72
