REVIEW: Sunflower Bean @ the Orpheum Theatre 09/11

By Brittany Moura

Rock’s most promising, vibrant trio, Sunflower Bean, opened up for Interpol on the first night of their U.S. Fall tour. It was not a surprising pairing, as just a few years back they were opening for the legendary Pixies. Watching “the bean,” as dubbed by their close-knit group of fans, attempt to win over the far more lax crowd of Interpol fans seemed insulting. Julia Cumming, Nick Kivlen, and Jacob Faber are truly a breath of fresh air in 2018’s “rock scene.” I guess it’s true that most attend gigs for the main act, but it is the year 2018 and every single audience member remained seated, even during the band’s most hard-hitting performances, like “Crisis Fest,” and “I Was Home.” The moral of this story is that the same older generation of (mainly) men, the same group who believe they know “real” rock n roll, are the least hardcore subpopulation of humans.

Speaking of badass women, who seem to always be the best audience, lead singer and bassist Cumming lead the set with her ferocious roars and impactful vocal ticks–an effective use of both light and dark that I’ve only ever seen in bands like Wolf Alice. The same can be said for Kivlen, lead guitarist, who exhibited some of the most exciting and personal guitar playing, with no specific genre or player to pin him down to. Drummer, Faber, laid down the same level of passion and talent, and did so in such a sneaky way. He’s not flashy, like Bonham, or soft spoken, but bled into the bass groove and guitar tones in a way reminiscent of the Stones in their prime.

Obviously, the best way to hear this is in a live setting, but you can hear the dichotomy best in their studio recordings of, “I Was a Fool,” a lead single off their latest album, Twentytwo in Blue, versus the previously mentioned “I Was Home,” a popular track off their debut, Human Ceremony. They can so easily and efficiently transform sounds, tones, and atmospheres to create a sound space that feels raw and powerful, and they lay their influences out on the table for all to see. For a three-piece band, they have one of the most full and unwavering live performances, and this doesn’t change, no matter if they’re playing in a theatre of unresponsive drones, or a tiny room filled with dedicated fans.

What I’ve always liked most about Sunflower Bean is their lyricism–which has come to a peak I hope they stay on–with their song, “Twentytwo,” the central focus of the album. It’s a comforting yet insecure tune about, the way I and many others have interpreted growing up in a rather uncertain climate, but knowing yourself enough to not let it crush you. That’s exactly what I see in this band, in these musicians, and in their performances–they are incredibly reflective, but are having genuine fun, and maybe it just translates better to a younger audience who are facing the same kind of self-realization that they are. In any case, it was easy for me to stand up and start dancing, even if I was the only one doing so–and that is a testament to what makes a truly outstanding band.