Freak Slug @ Red Room Cafe 939 3/29
Photo credits: Ava Rubin
Review by: Olivia Valera
Berklee College of Music’s Red Room sat near to empty until, suddenly, the press of tightly packed bodies pushed the tentative crowd forward, eager to see Freak Slug as they made their way out onto the stage. Headed by singer and guitarist Xenya Genovese, the Manchester-based band stopped off in Boston for one of the last few shows of their Big Candles tour.
Their first EP titled “Videos,” came out in 2020, presenting itself to the mainstream after an eclectic release of a few singles on bandcamp, cover songs, and lo-fi tracks. The sound is laid-back, warm bedroom pop with hits like “Radio” which is still one of their most replayed songs on music streaming services. Their newest album entitled “I Blow Out Big Candles,” came out in Nov. 2024, earning themselves greater popularity than ever as radio stations began to recommend them on their up-and-coming playlists, and word spread about the album’s exceptionally good tracks.
Freak Slug had just finished their Canadian leg of the tour, but enthusiasm to hear them live clearly has not faltered, as they geared up for a sold-out show in Boston before heading down the Eastern seaboard for their last three shows in the US.
The band filled up the small stage, beckoned the crowd closer, and sized up the intimate space of the venue. Xenya Genovese at front, center stage in lace-up boots that looked like they had come straight from a Victorian doll. It suited quite nicely as they played both “Witch,” and “Spells,” off of the newest album, which besides their eerie names are both fantastic pieces—the former, a slow burning passion. “Spells,” on the other hand, melds alternative-pop with sultry whining vocals carving out Freak Slug’s defining sound throughout the album. They spent little time chatting with the crowd, and it took them just under an hour to play their set list from start to finish. This did not prevent them, however, from running through a majority of their discography, which one can only hope will continue to grow with more of the playful, bewitching songs we’ve come to love.
Halfway through the set, there was an almost imperceptible shift in the room’s energy. Politely requesting the stage lights be dimmed, the band’s guitarist broke from the invisible barrier separating stage and audience, playing through the path of bodies pushed aside to create space for the music. It was a nice shift in energy. The jostling of people around the swinging, sharp form of the guitar as it slashed the crowd open–crying out an electrifying melody right into its heart. Even after returning to the stage, the music still crackled through the audience leaving them a little more animated. Seemingly settled into the rhythm of the room, the band shifted between playing older and newer hits, engaging the crowd to sing alongside the band’s vocals as the night wore on.
After the last lingering notes of their final song “Spells,” receded into the heavy applause, the band bounced off the stage and made their way to the front of the house to chat with fans and sign merchandise.
Freak Slug at the Red Room brought its own energy — one that isn’t necessarily found in listening to their recorded work. Especially with how many electronics are used in pop music, seeing a band live doesn’t necessarily come with the unique quirks that showcase the humanness and the imperfection of a group of people making music up on stage. The impression I got that night was of musicians, likely exhausted at the end of their tour, but still trying to have fun. Hoping to share something they love and have worked hard for. Music can be escapism, but perhaps now more than ever (especially for a British band currently touring the US), live music reminds us that we all share the uncertainty in life, and music is the connection that makes it feel a little less like we bare it alone.