REVIEW: ILLITERATE LIGHT @ SINCLAIR 11/16

Photo credit: Joey Wharton

Review by Deja Tribbitt

I can feel the buzz in the air when I enter the Sinclair. The show doesn’t begin for another hour, but there’s already a crowd gathered at the stage to see Illiterate Light, tonight’s headliner, and another hanging around their merch table, which has some of the best-designed band merch I’ve seen in a while. I chat with the person at the table and they assure me that the show will be great. I have high hopes.

Illiterate Light is an alternative rock band from Harrisonburg, Virginia, founded by Jeff Gorman on vocals, guitar, and synth bass and Jake Cochran on drums and vocals. The band is known for its energetic and unconventional performance style, which has garnered it a small but passionate following. They have released three albums, with their second album, “Sunburned,” being considered one of SPIN magazine’s best albums of 2023. They are currently touring their most recent album, “Arches.”

The show’s opener was the folk-rock trio Palmyra. Palmyra was formed by vocalist and guitarist Sasha Landon, guitarist Teddy Chipouras, and bassist Mānoa Bell in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in 2015. The band has released an album, an EP, and several singles over their career and was named one of “Public Radio’s Favorite New Artist(s) of 2024” by National Public Radio (NPR).

I went into their show cold, not knowing anything about Palmyra or their performance style. When they took the stage, the first thing that struck me was how none of the members dressed as if they were going to the same place I was immediately interested. The beginning of the band’s set was more rock than folk, with an emphasis on the guitars and drums, while the warmth of Bell’s standup bowed bass kept the folk feel of the music. Halfway through, the set shifted more towards folk when Chipouras traded his guitar for a banjo, giving the music a bit more of a folky twang. The combination of Landon’s powerful vocals and earnest lyricism created an emotionally evocative and fun performance.

When Illiterate Light takes the stage, the energy in the room skyrockets. The band started off the show with a few high-tempo rock songs that immediately got the crowd going. Cochran’s standing drum kit gives him more mobility and flexibility to move during the show than other drummers, which he put to good use by jumping tonto and running through the crowd during the first song. Cochran’s antics were definitely a high point throughout the show, with him running out from behind the set during rest periods to interact with the audience from the stage, only to return to the drums exactly on time to continue the song. Cochran also used the flexibility of the set in his playing, taking the top cymbal off of the hi-hat and putting it on a drumstick so he could still play while walking around the stage.

The band kept the energy up through the show with Cochran’s unconventional drumming and Gorman’s catchy guitar riffs. The songs “Norfolk Southern” and “Montauk” were highlights of the show. It was amazing how the two were able to celebrate such a full sound with just the instruments that they had on stage.

While the show’s energy was off the charts, there was also an emotional aspect to it. Gorman and Cochran took a pause in the middle of the set to let the audience know that they make music not only because they love it but because they want to bring people into the music to enjoy it with them. The connection between the band and their fans became palpable at that moment and even more so when Gorman revealed that it was his birthday and the audience sang happy birthday to him. The band invited the audience even further into the music when, before playing “Blood Lines,” an emotional song about his family, Gorman taught the audience the chorus of the song so that everyone could sing it together.

Illiterate Light has an engaging show down to a science. From the setlist that keeps the energy going to the crowd interaction to Gorman inviting the audience to enjoy the next 78 minutes at the beginning of the show (he was spot on; the first song started at 9:36, and the last one ended at 10:54). Check them out if you want to experience a new way to have a good time because you won’t get it anywhere else.