Formulas and Frequencies: Photos from Whirr at Backbooth
Living up to their growing reputation as one of the truest, most traditional shoegaze bands alive, Whirr (Sept. 9, Backbooth) came to town riding a massive wave of sheer sound. Although I never got the chance to see them, I now have a very satisfying idea of what My Bloody Valentine sounds like live. Between all the beautiful volume and fuzz, this rock show was like being luxuriously embraced by a colossal sea anemone wearing an angora sweater. It’s not my most elegant description, I know, but I’ve only used that very specific metaphor once ever, and it was when I was tripping balls in Kentucky. But in terms of near-physical sonic experience, it’s way more apt here, and it was magnificent.
Gloomwolf at Backbooth (photo by Ashley Belanger)
One of the openers was new local band Gloomwolf. In some ways, their textured indie rock was a little more even and tame this time. But that only made the contrast with their zanier tendencies more difficult. When I first saw them in May at Psych Night 2, I noted their unpredictability. However, unpredictability can quickly turn into amorphousness unless it’s put into focus. Unfortunately, where their compass is set remains unclear.
Omri Loved Celadon (photo by Ashley Belanger)
The surprise stunner of the night was Omri Loved Celadon. Holy hot damn, where did these guys come from? Lakeland, I know, though I’d never even heard of them before this show. But, apparently, a bunch of other people had because they had a nice crowd. Now I know why, because behind all this smoke is some real fire. They’re an intriguing, if not always cohesive, composite of shoegaze, punk and noisy ‘90s indie rock. What was unquestionably unified and concentrated about them, however, was their roaring volume. They seemed to have come out of nowhere, but they have the sound of a band that’s definitely going somewhere.
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