Qulture Magazine

Words: Toni Faulds

The evening kicked off with “Forgetting You Is Like Breathing Water” a support act whose name already hints at a sort of poetic ambition. Their sound was drenched in reverb, leaning on a moody sounding guitar and a trumpet that was constantly bringing a different vibe to the room. At their best, they conjured up an atmosphere that felt cinematic, the instruments almost at times sounded like they were communicating with each other. But not every moment landed, at certain moments the crowd seemed confused by this experimental jazz duo. I couldn’t help but feel that this duo might have been better received had they been supporting an artist more in line with their style as the crowd just didn’t seem like the natural fit for their sound.

They kept stage interaction to a minimum, only introducing themselves after the set, and while I can respect the choice to let the music speak for itself, a touch more personality or stage presence could have gone a long way in this venue as it does have that vibe to be a lot closer with the artist due to the size of it. That said, their chemistry together on stage was undeniable, and the experimental jazz they created together had moments where I was intrigued. Personally, I found it to be quite enjoyable once I figured out what they were going for with their performance, but I can also understand why the crowd may have struggled to fully connect with it.

Then Throwing Muses arrived, and suddenly La Belle Angele felt like it had been transported back to the nineties. There’s a particular texture to their music which I’d describe as jagged guitars, restless rhythms, and Kristin Hersh just has a voice that carries the grit and energy of that nineties era. The setlist was a great blend between sharp, barbed energy and moments of an almost quieter tenderness. At times, the blend didn’t seem very well received by the crowd as I think they expected mostly just that sharp nineties rock energy, but I enjoyed the rawness feel it only added to the nostalgia like almost imperfect but so emotive to see in person.

They had great stage presence, what I noticed most was the bass player was just so incredibly in the moment constantly moving in line with the music, his energy was amazing. What struck me most was how alive that retro vibe still feels and how much the crowd could just live in the nostalgia created by Throwing Muses. It wasn’t just a trip down memory lane, it felt raw and truly just captured the way alternative music used to feel before playlists and online streaming.

Hersh’s voice during some of these songs was truly captivating like she pulls you into her world, and the band drives it home with relentless energy. By the end, the audience wasn’t just revisiting the past, they were reminded why it mattered in the first place, this made for a great show and watching the crowd manage to live in their nostalgia for a night was heart-warming to see.