REVIEW: I’m Glad It’s You, shiver., I Wish I Could Skateboard, Benjamin Ward @ O’Brien’s 10/24

By Ali Audet

Looking to impress your friends with your knowledge of local music? I would direct you to introduce them to shiver. Hailing from Salem, Mass., shiver. puts on a live show that only amplifies the dynamic, engaging music they create. Although they shared the stage with three other acts, it was clear who the real star of the night was.

The night began with Benjamin Ward, a solo acoustic performance. Ward was an outlier compared to the other artists on the bill. Although I’m Glad It’s You was a solo acoustic act as well, Ward’s performance was considerably more toned down. But Ward had the awkward charm of a kid brother: he was shy and almost withdrawn as a performer. Even given this, he still managed to reel you in. The first few songs in the set were slow, but picked up with his performance of “Movies.” He also played a song by his band, Hemingway, which boosted his performance immensely. The song was well-written and worked well as a stripped down, acoustic version. But, by his own admission, he was a bit out of place: “I know someone in one of the other acts, that’s how I got this gig.” Although I’m not sure this is something you should be telling your audience, it piled on to the awkward charm of Benjamin Ward. Even though he was a fish out of water, he managed to capture people’s attention: his performance was dynamic and heartfelt.

Second of four acts was I Wish I Could Skateboard. In comparison to Ward, whose acoustic emo came sweetly and comfortably, I Wish I Could Skateboard was angrier. They relied on instrumentation–lead and rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and drums–to drive the energy and movement of their music. While the band was entertaining, I fear they may sound better recorded than live. Much of the material came off as a wall of sound rather than a dynamic piece, with vocals and guitar riffs drowned out by droning guitar. The performance would have been much more engaging with stronger dynamics, especially for a crowd who may not be familiar with their material.

Although given the coveted final set of the night, I’m not sure I’m Glad It’s You lived up to the hype. Frontman Kelley Bader went solo for this tour, but I’m not sure that did justice to the band’s music. Unlike opener Ward, who kept it simple with an acoustic guitar and his own vocals, Bader brought along a backing track with drums and synth. While this choice had the potential to work in his favor, the track was sharp and piercing and took away from the actual music Bader performed live. When he chose to perform without a backing track, I had hope that there would be an improvement in the quality of the performance. While it ended the shrill scream of the backing track, the solo performance was lackluster compared to the other acts of the night. Yet, the set was not without its high points. Bader performed a new song about losing a close friend in a car accident last year. About performing the song live and even writing in it the first place, he said, “It’s pretty personal, but it’s been important for me to talk about this song.” For the first time in the set, I got a glimpse at why fans love I’m Glad It’s You so much. The song was touching and tragic, performed with heart but without any extra frill or excess to take away. I would hope that seeing the band in its entirety would mirror that same emotion and dedication.

To me, the true highlight of the night was shiver. The only hometown act, shiver. suffered a technical difficulty before they even started performing. Unfortunately, this meant music was cut at the end of the set, but did not affect an otherwise exemplary performance. In under half an hour, the band managed to perform material from their latest EP, August’s Golden Hour, as well as some older material. Selections from Golden Hour translated well from the album to the stage. “Colorado,” which bears an unmistakable instrumental section, was especially remarkable for a band who suffered technical difficulties moments before. Golden Hour shows a departure from the indie emo of 2016’s Evergreen in favor of what the band describes as “folky/experimental feel good jams.” This contrast between their older material and the latest EP created a nice balance among the setlist. After cutting one song from their set to make up for time lost due to technical difficulty, the band chose to end with Golden Hour’s “Too Far Gone.” The band has said that the EP is about “nostalgic feelings and aging,” and “Too Far Gone” is no different: “Your faith is strong / You’re holding on the belief systems that you were taught back when you were young.” There’s a certain ambience that tinges Golden Hour that makes it sound spectacular live. Each song builds to something, be it a second chorus or lyrical climax. This wind-up made their final song especially engaging and drove home just how talented shiver. really are.