REVIEW: Bleached @ Brighton Music Hall 9/21
By Kate Gilberd
Fresh off the summer release of their new album, Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?, Bleached performed a short but sweet set at Brighton Music Hall on Saturday, September 21.
The band was preceded by two killer opening acts: Lady Pills, a local psych/punk band from Allston, and The Paranoyds, an energetic LA-based group that reminded the audience of Bleached’s California roots. Sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin came on stage a few minutes late greeted by an especially excited crowd; bassist Max Terlecki’s family had all come out to watch him perform. Terlecki’s family led the high energy throughout the night, making up for a less than crowded venue. I was surprised to see Brighton less than two-thirds full by the time the headliner started.
The show began with “Shitty Ballet,” a spring single from the new album, led by Jennifer’s clear voice and a stripped-down guitar. The song later opened up, giving way to the fun, noisy jam of the full band. It was an interesting choice as an opener, given the intimacy of the song, but it worked to grab the audience’s attention and transitioned well into the rest of the upbeat set. After that, the band showed off their surf-y, Los Angeles roots with “Heartbeat Away.”
Bleached continued to swing back and forth between laid-back surf rock and the slightly harder sound of “Daydream” and “Sleepwalking,” with a sprinkling of eighties pop in songs like “Kiss You Goodbye.” It was a satisfying balance between tones, and helped to keep the performance engaging from start to finish. I also appreciated that they played tracks other than those on July’s release, and it was clear that the audience did too. The standout of the main set was definitely “Wednesday Night Melody,” one of their biggest hits, whose familiar progression had even the most stoic of audience members bouncing along. Jennifer had undoubtedly sung this song hundreds of times, but her energetic performance could have fooled me into thinking it was her first.
The majority of the band’s songs were deceptively simple and easy to follow, with tight transitions. Rather than technicality, it was Jennifer’s stage presence and Jessica’s quiet confidence that sealed the tight set. At first, Terlecki and drummer Spencer Lere didn’t live up to Jennifer’s excited dance moves, but when it was time for the encore the band came together in a rush of enthusiasm. During “Think of You,” Terlecki leapt off of the stage (despite Brighton’s “no stage diving” rule — but no one seemed to mind), playing his solo in the center of the cheering crowd. “Dead in Your Head” closed out the concert with the sisters delivering their strongest harmonies of the night. By the end, everyone was giving the performance their all, leaving a hum of energy in the air as they left the stage.
The only missing piece for me throughout the show was interaction with the audience. Jennifer occasionally asked the cliche questions (“How’re you guys doing?”), but no one really attempted to connect with the crowd. Rather, they seemed to favor moving through the set with a quick precision. Overall, the best moments happened when the band interacted with each other, giving a hint as to how much they were enjoying themselves. Bleached may not have had a natural vibrant energy, but when they did play off of one another it took the performance to a new level. Even without much audience interaction, the diversity and musical strength of their set was sure to satisfy fans both old and new.