I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: June 22, 2017] Chastity Belt

 I first heard of Chastity Belt from All Songs Considered.  They’d played their really great song, “Black Sail.”  And they also brought attention to their amusing/appalling band photo (see below).  The album No Regerts [sic] had some fun/funny punky feminist songs.  Since then the band has released two albums (and their new one is really really good) and changed their band promo photo style (see below also).  They’re still writing feminist songs but they’re slightly less abrasive (and not called things like “Giant Vagina” or “Nip Slip”).

In fact, despite their name and that particular photo below, their music is really chill.  Julia Shapiro plays nicely jangly almost shoegazy guitar while Lydia Lund plays some simple but really catchy guitar lines that emphasize or counterpoint the melody.  Annie Truscott keeps everything grounded with her bass and Gretchen Grimm plays some really interesting drum parts.  It was particularly notable live since the drums were louder, that Gretchen wasn’t just playing snare/bass, but was playing complex patterns on her toms.  It really made for a cool sound.

I also got a kick out of Shapiro handing out the setlist to everyone on what looked like little tiny pieces of paper (wonder if they were handwritten).

Since I lost my spot close to the stage (and since it was really really really hot), I went up to the balcony.  The view was unobstructed (but probably even more hot).  PhilaMOCA is so small that it felt close, even if I wasn’t really that close.

I don’t know the names of their new songs (or really any of their songs), so I can’t do a setlist properly.  But I recognized a bunch of songs and they all sounded really great–a rocking time for all.  Shapiro’s vocals were mixed a little too loud I thought, but otherwise the sound was really good.  It was also fun when Gretchen came out from behind the drums to sing “Don’t Worry.”  Julia played drums for that one.

I know they opened with “Complain.”  They played “Time to Go Home” (which it sounded like she said was new, which it isn’t, but whatever).  And they ended with “Joke.”

I really enjoyed when they came back for the encore they asked what people wanted to hear and there was much noise and yelling and Shapiro said she was just enjoying hearing everyone scream things out.  “Joke” ended with a long jam which sounded great and was really dancey too.

And as the song ended (I suspect there’s an 11PM curfew) Shapiro took off her guitar and let it feedback until the show was officially over.

When I went over to the merch table, Gretchen was selling stuff and by time I got to the table, Lydia had taken over.   I love small venues like that.

It was a great show in a great venue.  If a band you like plays PhilaMOCA, definitely check it out.

Setlist (Updated from Setlist.fm)

Complain
This Time
Time to Go Home
Don’t Worry
Obvious
Something Else
Used to Spend
Half Heart
Different Now
5AM
Joke

 

That first photo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new photos