I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: June 20, 2023] Idles

I was pretty excited to see Idles, but I was even more excited when it was announced that Mannequin Pussy would be opening.

I wanted to get their plenty early.  This was a weird night because I-95 had collapsed and there was a detour in place.  I didn’t know how long it would take to get there.

I’m guessing most people stayed away from 95 altogether, and it was a Tuesday night, because the ride in was so smooth.  The detour that I took was only a few blocks and I was right back on the road with hardly any other traffic,  It was great.

I arrived in plenty of time, although it was already pretty crowded.

Then, at 8PM, Mannequin Pussy came out on stage.

I’ve seen them four times, although it had been almost two years since the last time.  Three of those four times, they were opening, so it’s not like I chose to see them. But I do love seeing them live.  And this show was no exception.

I didn’t expect a lot of change ups for an opening slot.  But they were in their home town so I figured they’d play favorites (whatever those might be).

I enjoyed watching their (new?) guitarist on my left with a flying V playing the gentle guitar for “Control” while Missy Dabice sang the soft intro.  After a few drum hits the song took off.  And the band never looked back.

Dabice is such a good front woman.  Her voice is really sophisticated between gentle singing and powerful screams.  She played guitar for a few of the first songs.  I love the way she sings quietly at the end of “Patience,” totally controlling the crowd as the guitars fade and she sings quietly “I’ve got you in my blood.”

Up next was their big hit and one of the catchiest songs around, “Drunk II.”  This was the song that won me over to them when I first saw them back in 2018.

After this the song was all rocking chaos.  With the spectacularly screamed “Cream,” in which bassist Bear sings backing vocals–adding a fuller dimension to the screaming.  “Pledge” sounds quiet and catchy, but the verses are screamed intensity.

Things slowed somewhat for the wonderful “Romantic,” a song with gentle verses and powerful choruses.

Dabice said they would play three new songs. She was no longer playing guitar at this point, just stalking the stage and getting into the lyrics.  They were all short screamers and they were excellent–I’m really looking forward to their next album.

After the new songs they plowed through to the end with some of their shortest fastest screamers.  The 90 second “Everything,” the powerful “Perfect,” and the 40 second blast that is Clams (sung by Dabice and Bear).

They followed it with “F.U.C.A.W.” one of my favorite songs with a looping siren-like guitar part and lots of intense screaming. with the great lyrics

What did you say to me, boy?
|Come on and spit it in my face
Who the fuck you talkin’ to, boy?

Then Bear took lead vocals and Dabice took bass for Bear’s powerful “Pigs is Pigs” which he dedicate to all of the Black and LGBT people in the audience (come on Philly you can do better than that).  On record, you can hear Bear’s lyrics, but live it’s a whirlwind of Bear stomping the stage, dreadlocks flying.

Catharsis, meet your soundtrack.

And Markit Aneight recorded the show

2023 (opening)	2021 (headlining)	2021 (opening)	2018 (opening)
Control √	Romantic ®	Control √
Patience ¶	Control √	To Lose You √
Drunk II ¶	Who You Are ¶	Who You Are ¶
Cream ¶	Patience ¶	Patience ¶
Pledge ®	Drunk II ¶	Drunk II ¶
Romantic ®	Cream ¶	Cream ¶
New song (I was in control)	Pledge ®	Pledge ®
New song (Because you want it)	Meatslave One ®	Romantic ®
New song (I got it, I got it)	Emotional High ®	Fear/+/Desire ¶
Everything ®	Drunk I ¶	Everything ®
Perfect √	High Horse ¶	Kiss ®
CLAMS ¶	Everything ®	Perfect √
F.U.C.A.W. ¶	Kiss ®	Clue Juice ξ
Pigs is Pigs √	Perfect √	CLAMS ¶
	Clue Juice ξ	Pigs is Pigs √
	CLAMS ¶	In Love Again ¶
	F.U.C.A.W. ¶
	Piss Drinker ξ
	In Love Again ¶
	Pigs is Pigs √

√ Perfect (2021)
¶ Patience (2019)
® Romantic (2016)
ξ Mannequin Pussy (2014)

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