“Curse that motherf—ker who would spit upon another's body,” PWR BTTM declared to cheers at The Southern Café and Music Hall Wednesday night. The line came from “Big Beautiful Day,” the first single off the queer punk duo’s upcoming album “Pageant,” and seemed emblematic of the set as a whole — fearless, earnest and sometimes blissfully profane. The Charlottesville show was the band’s first since announcing their latest album — due this May from Polyvinyl Records — and that newness seemed to fill the band and audience alike with a sense of anything-goes confidence.
Seattle-based band Naked Giants roused the crowd early on with blistering, fast-paced rock, while singer-songwriter Mal Blum captivated with wryly self-effacing, punk-tinged folk tunes. But the room’s energy reached fever pitch when PWR BTTM finally took the stage. Ben Hopkins sported a pink and green tunic with shimmery makeup to match and Liv Bruce appeared in a floral dress and comparatively bare-faced. The audience showed a similar contrast, from fans resplendent in craft-store glitter to the more subdued — but all were nonetheless caught up in the infectious, feel-good power of the music.
Performance seemed built into PWR BTTM’s DNA that night, especially when so many of their songs confront the nature of dysphoria and uncertain identity. On new song “Sissy,” Bruce questioned the gender binary through cathartic yells of “Who would I be if they never had taken my body / drawn a blue box around it / and put a toy gun in my hand?”
Much of their setlist also consisted of danceable, self-affirming garage-rock anthems, such as “Serving Goffman,” which repeatedly asked, “Am I making a fool of myself? / I hope so, I sure hope so.” Whether singing along to the entirety of fan favorite “I Wanna Boi” — which instructs a potential partner to “drop me a line at ob8419@bard.edu” — or participating in a call-and-response chant with Hopkins, the crowd remained constantly engaged.
Even between songs, Hopkins and Bruce were open and compelling. As they switched off between guitar and drums, their set was punctuated by anecdotes ranging from heartwarming — such as Hopkins’ mother wanting to follow the band on tour — to the bleak humor of having their tour van stolen the day of the U.S. election results. PWR BTTM’s conscious sincerity wasn’t simply relegated to their music, either — they reminded the crowd to be respectful of one another’s space, a request met with heartening cheers of approval. They even let the audience in on moments of uncertainty, such as the drum kit breaking and the possibility of making mistakes on a song never performed before.
Hopkins closed the set by removing his shirt and performing a relatively spare, plaintive rendition of “House in Virginia,” a song offering both literal and symbolic meaning to a Charlottesville audience. Its stark vulnerability and allusions to HIV culminated in a moment of stunning release, as the crowd and Hopkins alike howled the promise, “I’ll stay up all night.” That night, it became a vital pledge to stay alive and fighting — even in the face of overwhelming bigotry and violence.
Read More
Joe Gatto brings his prank-fueled comedy to Old Cabell Hall
By Ty Lolak | 20 hours agoFormer “Impractical Jokers” star Joe Gatto’s performance was filled with references to his time on the show, making it an especially memorable experience for longtime fans of his work.
Peter Gould offers valuable insight during a Q&A with “Better Call Saul” class
By Leena Fraihat | 5 days agoWhat resulted was a delightful exchange of ideas between an esteemed industry professional and dedicated, inquisitive students.
The educator’s bookshelf — a list of must reads from U.Va. professors
By Cooper Carlson | 5 days agoFor any student unsure of what their first post-finals read should be, look no further than the favorite books of these four academics.
