It is easy to forget the beauty of the house show. As a society, we tend to gravitate towards these high-flying, grandiose events, but often times that production value does not amount to a better show. Sure, a house show may not be privy to many of the advantages that come in the areas of staging and sound, but the close quartered nature of the environment gives a house show performance a new layer: this layer is character. Highly produced shows tend to create a disconnect between the audience and the performers. No matter how honorable and respectable a group may be, the traditional stage is certainly set up to make the performers appear as larger than life. Venues want the performers to appear extraordinary and one could even argue superior. In the case of a house show, all of this context is thrown out the window. The humble atmosphere of the basement and level playing field of the stage lets the audience know that the musicians they are about to witness are humans, and that is more than ok. And in the case of a group as emotional and melodic as Old Sol, it is certainly a plus.
The band put on an incredible show as they furiously paced through their setlist. Comprising mostly of new songs, the setlist may have been foreign to much of the audience, but that did not stop the basement from erupting in contagious head bobbing and dancing. This energy the crowd held was surely not due to coincidence. The band’s music holds a lot of momentum and is ultimately almost impossible for the listener to deny.
To finish up the set, the band played their two biggest cuts entitled “Mondaze” and “Getting Comfortable”. These familiar tunes were a very welcome capping off to an already impactful set. As the crowd sang along, you could feel the electricity in the room. Everyone there was having a wonderful and emotional time. One that was a credit to the band, but certainly also a credit to the space.
Griffin Boyle
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