Crowd Carries BORNS at Riverside

This post was originally published on Marquettewire.org

Garrett Clark Borns, known better as BORNS, first visited Milwaukee in 2013, playing Summerfest’s Emerging Artist Stage. Since then, it seems, the Michigan-born musician has gained quite the engaged fanbase.

Last night, before his set even started, the audience made enough noise to trick the unassuming ear that the artist had arrived onstage.

At one point, cheers of, “Garrett, Garrett, Garrett!” rippled through the crowd like a verbal wave.

When the artist finally took the stage, it became clear to anyone who had followed his music that BORNS was playing his newest album, “Blue Madonna,” front to back.

This was an interesting strategy, one that is rarely used outside of 10-year anniversary tours of incredibly popular albums.

The performance itself lacked the charisma of BORNS’ tours following his 2015 release, “Dopamine.” He strutted around the stage, knowing the audience would scream with his every move. This is in contrast with his earlier tours, during which he wielded a guitar for the majority of the show.

I would have liked to see BORNS’ voice featured more prominently. At times, he seemed buried under heavy synths and backing vocals.

The majority of the audience, it is worth mentioning, did not have the same qualms as me. Every move and song prompted high-pitched and prolonged screaming. I’ve never been to a show at which the audience sang so loudly to every song that the band was drowned out at times.

Following in the mold of unusual concert procedure, BORNS and his band went on to have an encore that lasted six songs. That is entirely unheard of and uncalled for in my opinion. Encore sets are to be three songs maximum. Stick to that.

Overall, BORNS was an entertaining concert. I would have loved to hear more from him and less from the screaming girls in the crowd, but I will definitely be returning if he comes back to Milwaukee.

SETLIST:

God Save Our Young Blood

Faded Heart

Sweet Dreams

We Don’t Care

Man

Iceberg

Second Night of Summer

I Don’t Want U Back

Tension (Interlude)

Supernatural

Blue Madonna

Bye-bye Darling

Encore:

Seeing Stars

10,000 Emerald Pools

American Money

Past Lives

Holy Ghost

Electric Love

With Mosh Pits, Spit Fits, Screaming Females Tears it Up →

This post was originally published on Marquettewire.org

View fullsize

Have you ever been to a concert that changed your outlook on life? Until yesterday, I couldn’t say I had. After traveling nearly two hours to the Brauerhouse in Lombard, Illinois, I thought, “This show had better make my night.” It did me one better.

The show started Chicago natives Rad Payoff, who played their hearts out and showed their potential for further success. Street Eaters was slightly less impressive, yet if they had filled their sound out with more treble and less bass, they might have been a better precursor for the headliners of the night.

Screaming Females’ Marissa Paternoster started the show with a quaint hello that did not prepare the audience for what was coming next: A frenzied, bordering on out-of-control show that didn’t allow a single lapse in attention.

After the first song, the energy in the crowd was palpable. If you listened, you could pick out a few mutterings of “I can’t believe she’s right there,” and, “This is insane.” Otherwise, the ambient noise in the room from screeching amplifiers and piercing guitar pedals overcame any single party.

The 5-foot-2 Paternoster has no business controlling a room the way she does. Foaming at the mouth helps, I guess. When you’re busy shredding away on guitar, it only occurs to you to wipe the spit off your mouth after a song ends.

The rest of the show only got more manic. Paternoster jumped in and out of the crowd, screamed, ripped off her VIP backstage bracelet, stood on stage monitors and headbanged all to the audience’s delight.

As much as one tends to gravitate toward the rock goddess at the forefront, the rhythm section of Screaming Females is the basis for the pure rollicking joy they produce. “King” Mike Abbate on bass guitar held Paternoster’s frenzied solos to the pulse while giving his own life to the setlist. Even if you extracted the lead guitar, this show would have had the same vitality. Jarrett Dougherty’s drums accentuated each change and ushered the crowd into a feverish rave.

Abbate told of his love for Milwaukee after the show, even confessing his love for the Riverwest Co-Op’s breakfast the morning after shows. He even hinted at an upcoming tour date in Milwaukee.

If Screaming Females blesses our city with a show in the near future, I implore you to go. This band has transcended punk music and joined the greats.

SETLIST:

“Foul Moth”

“Lights Out”

“Criminal Image”

“Burning Car”

“Rose Mountain”

“Empty Head”

“Help Me”

“A Good Flying Bird”

“Halfway Down”

“I Don’t Mind It”

Encore:

“Boyfriend”