Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds (are Back).... Wolf Alice AND U.S. Girls all in the same Week

April 19, 2018

It's been since 2016 since I last saw my saxophone-playing buddy's band Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds. They went on hiatus, due to the singer's pregnancy and birth of her first child. And after a year away from the stage, she returned, in rare form, almost as if she'd never taken a break and looking amazing, post-childbirth, her voice sounding ever as incredible and raspy as before. And the band, well, they always impress me. They were tight as hell, playing their first show together since the departure of their lead guitarist, as well. It was the beginning of April that they decided to return to the live stage, nervous and anxious, but better than ever. This was their very first show back, and it happened to be staged in Boston, as they played a string of shows within a week of each other, as a sort of warm up before summer hits and they inevitably tour extensively and hit some festival circuits. If they ever come around to a city near you, you absolutely must see them live!

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A few days later, I got to see Wolf Alice, a UK band that's been flying under my radar for a couple of years now. This was the first time I got to see them, and their live show is absolutely incredible. The lead singer's voice is just absolutely amazing, reminding me at times of Bully's lead singer, but adding her own flair and shoe-gaze instrumentation to their music. Last year's "Visions of a Life" album was one of my favorites, and thankfully they focused heavily on these songs, but also added some great older ones within their set to satiate everyone. The energy was incredible, as well. I definitely will be seeing them when they return to the states.

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A few days later, I traveled down to Boston to see the unbelievable U.S. Girls. I honestly did not know what to expect with this band, and I was absolutely blown away. Perhaps one of my favorite shows of the year, and that's saying a lot since I've been to some amazing, one-of-a-kind shows. U.S. Girls really belongs to the singer/songwriter Meghan Remy and her songs play out like poems, hence the title of last year's album "In a Poem, Unlimited" for which she was touring behind, with a full band in tow. From the moment she stood stone-still on stage with a cold stare towards the back of the room, ignoring the cheering until the band hit the first song's notes and she unleashed her voice, through each song throughout the night, Remy possessed the stage with a presence that almost seemed as if she was herself possessed. Was it a stage act? Was she just simply in a zone? Who knows. All I know is I left astounded, ears ringing.