JULIE @ PARADISE ROCK CLUB 10/20
Photography by Amanda Birbara
Review by Brianna Benitez
The moment you were an eye-sight distance from Paradise Rock Club on the evening of October 20, it was obvious that a special show would be taking place at the venue–julie was in town. The trio’s visit to Boston was almost perfectly situated in the middle of their North American tour. Mid-September marked the release of their debut album, “my anti-aircraft friend,” a masterful piece that collectively shows off their take on experimental emo-shoegaze rock.
An interesting tone was set as the crowd waited for the openers. Classical opera played lightly on the speakers, which was something peculiar for a concert like julie’s. Her New Knife came out at around 8 p.m., putting the interesting pre-show music selection at a pause.
Earlier this month, Her New Knife released “purepurepure,” a song with repetitive instrumentals that get stuck in your head. They went on to play other songs from “douglasland.v1,” which featured screams from the lead singer that left you with a heavy feeling, to “Ruin,” a song with a seamlessly energetic tone. There were moments in which their energy did not fully transmit to the audience as you would have expected. They lacked expression. Still, Her New Knife’s performance was a fun one to start with.
The classical opera was slapped back onto speakers after the first act played their final song, and it progressively got obnoxious. Before the opera could get any higher, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, or TAGABOW, began setting up their instruments.
The band’s very own Douglas Dulgarian jokingly posed a question for the crowd. “Let’s sit in silence for five minutes, yeah? Just kidding!” laughed Dulgarian as he looked out into the venue. The speakers then erupted with experimental electronics that charmed everyone immediately.
The Philadelphia-native band began to officially play their music after a few minutes of their electronic selections. Their experimental 2018 album, “Destiny XL,” was heavy throughout their set. The band delved into songs ranging from “eightball,” a song with a catchy rhythm with poetic questioning about longing for someone, to “a wasp appears,” one in which the vocals were intentionally drowned by the instruments when done at once.
The second act casts a lasting spell on the room. Everyone was ready–everyone but julie. Originally advertised to start at 9 p.m., there was no sign of them until 9:50 p.m. I could complain all I want about their tardiness, but the build-up to their set made it an unforgettable opening.
Picture this: the classical opera that had been slowly getting louder between each act is now blaring on the Paradise Rock Club speakers. It’s getting louder by the minute. You exchange glances with your friend. All of a sudden, a distorted guitar noise rips right through an opera soprano. Julie walks onto the stage. It was concert magic.
“catalogue” from their latest album starts them off. Alexandria Elizabeth’s slight monotone “I just want to sit here” initiates the song as she strums the bass. Dillon Lee, drums, and Keyan Pourzand, guitar, join her with the instrumentals. Dillon’s skillful drumming immediately captured me. Experiencing Dillon’s live drum work made me understand what it felt like to be cooed to as a baby–it set me in a trance.
Keyan and Alexandria’s vocals are paired on the following, “pg.4 a picture of three hedges,” with a heavier focus on Keyan’s. With notable pauses around the chorus, the faux breaks make the song exhilarating. You know it’ll keep going, but the slight cliffhanger keeps you on your toes. It makes you want more. The leave and return of certain rhythms made it a thrilling one to hear live.
This pause-and-go theme is also present in “clairbourne practice,” a popular track from the album. The guitar releases a riveting wave-like sound at the start and then cuts to Keyan and Alexandria’s equally meshed vocals throughout the entire song. Dillon sits to the right, working his wonders on the drums while the vocal duo sways around the right side of the stage. They felt like harmonizing swans, that is, to describe how it felt visually and audibly.
After twelve songs, julie leaves the stage only to shortly return and proceed with their two-song encore. “stuck in a car with angels” was much softer than their other tracks. But don’t be shocked: it ends on a bittersweet note with strong guitar chords. The grand finale, “flutter,” fills the room with an intoxicating ambiance. The encore choices were perfect–they were the embodiment of yin and yang in music.
Commented by my friend, julie’s show felt like a theatrical play. You had an opera, three acts, and stories (told through the music). It was a violently sweet and sour play, at that. This was one of those concerts that made me wish I could relive it.
