*Yes, Kurt Vile came on stage and played with them. But first…*
Full disclosure: I missed the opening set from Truman Sinclair, so my lack of coverage is absolutely not shade, it’s simply that I cannot report on what I did not, in fact, witness. But if the performances that followed were any indication of his quality, then he was probably pretty goddamn awesome. So, sincere apologies, Mr. Sinclair. I will catch you next time.
My karmic retribution appears to have been a show that started late and went late (because I was late). I struggle with extending myself past my relatively strict bedtime, especially on a Tuesday night, but Courtney Barnett is one of a select few I’m willing to lend my limited rallying abilities to. Y’all didn’t have to wait up for me, but thanks for doing it because both Momma and Courtney Barnett brought their A-game. Also, I live two blocks from The Fillmore, so I really have no excuse. Venue-to-bed turnaround is approximately five minutes…
MOMMA
Fun fact: Momma is fucking excellent. An indie rock band originally from Calabasas, California and now based in Brooklyn, New York, Momma is one of those bands whose star is surely on the rise. The band, comprised of Etta Friedman, Allegra Weingarten, Aron Kobayashi Ritch, and Preston Fulks, hits the absolute emotional sweet spot of melancholic longing juxtaposed with joyful, “sing your heart out” alt rock. Their set feels like the needle drop at the end of a 90s coming-of-age drama where the protagonists part ways after an intensely emotional entanglement. Roll credits. You shed a tear but feel a sense of life-affirming hope for the possibilities that lie ahead.
In short? My wheelhouse exactly. They’re guitar-driven, late-90s-style indie-alternative rock. And rock they do. This is a band that has zero trouble injecting big riffs with poppy hooks and ethereal vocal harmonies. It’s adventurous, but comfortably familiar. Momma is a musical warm blanket during these trying and chaotic times, and I’m excited to see them again later this October opening for British alt-darlings Basement once more at The Fillmore.
If you don’t know them yet, go get to know them.
COURTNEY BARNETT
Courtney Barnett’s rise to stardom was at the height of the early 2010s indie-explosion. Every Pitchfork-darling was sure to be the next big thing. I cannot count how many of those artists didn’t survive the ensuing decade, but I can gratefully say that Courtney Barnett did. Maybe the scene in Australia is just safer for musicians to actually do their thing?
From the quirky charm of her breakout single “Avant Gardner” to a collaborative album with Kurt Vile to a documentary soundtrack (kind of), MTV Unplugged performance, and a litany of singles and covers, Courtney Barnett has never slowed her roll—and her output has been consistently of the highest quality. She has an effortless charm that blends the very best “oh well, whatever, never mind” attitude of indie-alternative with melodic catchiness, emotional depth, clever observations of the mundane, and anything and everything in between. She’s been among my favorite artists for more than a decade and I’m just glad she’s still at it.
Fresh on the heels of her latest release, Creature of Habit, Barnett, long-time touring bassist Bones Sloane and Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa have proven that a three-piece is the ultimate no-nonsense rock band composition. While much of her discography errs on the side of chill or midtempo, live, she never fails to unleash an added level of energy, urgency, and guitar hero antics. Even the easy-listening tracks have an added punchiness that really makes you feel what she’s doing on stage.
I believe that Barnett is one of the most underrated and unsung guitarists in the alt-rock scene, full stop. Between the ability to unleash some big riffs (See: “Pedestrian at Best,” “History Eraser,” and "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party"), she has a propensity to jam out and dance between discordant attacks on her strings with nuanced, melodic lead threads. Barnett sits somewhere between Kurt Cobain and Jack White and it’s always a feast for the ears to see her in her element. Never straying too far from the song’s original structure, but still committed to a degree of guitar-driven sonic exploration, her style of performance is nothing short of hypnotizing. And immense credit to both Sloane and Mozgawa for keeping a crisp, tight foundational flow for her to return to.
Before ending the set, Courtney gratefully brought out past collaborator, friend, and Philly hometown hero Kurt Vile for a performance of “Over Everything.” “My people,” Vile said before they launched into track. It was fucking awesome, and the clear highlight of the evening. Returning for a quick three-song encore, Barnett and Co. left the stage to raucous, well-earned cheers and a promise to be back.
As much as I love and thrive on finding and experiencing new music in this amazing city and its top-tier scene, it’s always special to spend a night with the artists who are, at least in part, responsible for who I am as a human being.
So thank you, Courtney, for being a total badass and continuing to be one of my heroes I can always count on…
Setlist
Stay In Your Lane
City Looks Pretty
Avant Gardener
Small Poppies
Mantis
Site Unseen
Great Advice
Depreston
Elevator Operator
Sugar Plum
Wonder
Before You Gotta Go
One Thing at a Time
Over Everything (Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile song) w/ Kurt Vile
Encore:
Mostly Patient (Courtney solo)
Pedestrian at Best
Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party
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