Live Review
Screaming Females @ Crowbar
Screaming Females are no strangers to the pub-circuit. The New Jersey rockers have been at it for over a decade, delighting crowds around the world with their distinctly 90’s brand of indie rock. Touring Australia in support of their latest album, 2015’s Rose Mountain, the band brought their thrilling live show to Crowbar. I sauntered down to the venue one fateful Thursday night to check them out, and ended up walking away with one hell of a smile on my face.
Lead singer Marissa Paternoster spent the evening wailing away on her guitar and screaming into the microphone like a musically-inclined banshee. One minute she was strumming along to a post-punk riff, the next she was finger-tapping like an indie Eddie Van Halen. Drummer Jarrett Dougherty was no slouch either, keeping in time and crashing around the place like nobody’s business. Meanwhile, bas player King Mike (what a name) stood tall and proud, laying down some sweet basslines that got everyone in the crowd vibing along.
The band’s setlist had a little something for everyone, running the full gamut of their discography. The crowd was grooving along to every minute of their set and were ecstatic throughout. Screaming Females knew how to connect with the audience, interspersing the slower-paced song amidst upbeat rockers, without ever feeling like they were letting up. Shredding tunes such as “Hopeless” and “Ripe” found themselves mixed in with more sedate numbers, such as “Wishing Well”. As far as comparisons go, “Empty Head” wouldn’t have sounded out of place being played on Recovery back in 1995, while the breezy-yet-atmospheric “Rose Mountain” would’ve made a fine addition to the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack with it’s plinking riff.
Screaming Females delivered a satisfying set, that left punters pretty well. All in all the band delivered one hell of a solid performance and did themselves justice. One can only imagine how hard these guy’s would’ve been able to rock in a bigger venue. Given the circumstances, they pulled out all the stops and gave punters a night to remember in the process. Not bad for a bunch of scruffy kids from New Jersey.
- Patrick Connors