[ATTENDED: December 3, 2023] THICK
I have been wanting to see THICK for a number of years.
Fascinatingly, they played five shows in the Philly area six times since Sept 2021.
The first one was with the Violent Femmes, which would have been a fun show. They played the Foundry in 2022 on my birthday, and I don’t go to shows on my birthday. In October of 2022, they played a show with an amazing lineup at Kung Fu Necktie, (Skating Polly, whom I’d also wanted to see!) but I already had tickets to see The House of Love. In March 2023, I had tickets to see them at Milkboy, but I got the stomach flu. Then they opened for a band I didn’t really like in August 2023.
But here they were announced as the openers for a concert that I already had a ticket to! It was terrific. Sure I had just tested positive for COVID, but by this show, my smell and taste had returned and I felt that by wearing a mask, I was fine to go.
And I’m so glad I did because the show was great.
THICK has a couple of albums out. I knew 5 Years Behind really well. Somehow, I missed their album Happy Now (although that hilarious cover looks very familiar). Happy Now is more of the same kind of feminist punk, but the music is more complicated and sophisticated. It all works great live.
Nikki Sisti is the lead guitarist and main singer, although bassist Kate Black does sing lead on a few songs (and backing vocals on most of the rest). I’m not sure who is playing drums and second guitar. THICK has always been a trio, but a lot of the band photos lately are just Nikki and Kate, and original drummer Shari Page has left the band (to form her new band Roon).
They mixed up the setlist really nicely with songs from Happy interspersed with songs from their early EP (the terrific Bleeding and Lyfe). They also three in new songs, The singles Love You Forever and the super catchy Doomer.
They also played two unreleased songs “Father” and “Mother” which were great (“Father” is their first “slow” song).
After these two new songs they jumped back to 5 Years for the song that introduced me to them, “Mansplain” and the fantastic “Your Mom.” Two great, simple, feminist rockers.
It felt like their set would be over then, but they played two more songs from Happy. The short burst of “Something Went Wrong” was filled with the angry sing-along “it’s all my fault”
They ended with the wonderful anthem, “Loser.”
I was able to chat with them after the show and they were super friendly. I’m really looking forward to seeing them as a headlining band.
SETLIST
TAPE INTRO: Treat Me Like a Slut (Kim Petras song) (Snippet)
- Montreal €
- Bleeding ⇔
- Happiness €
- Doomer #
- LYFE ⇔
- Love You Forever ##
- I Wish 2016 Never Happened €
- Father [new]
- Disappear €
- Mother [new]
- Mansplain ♦
- Your Mom ♦
- Something Went Wrong €
- Loser €
# 2023 single
## 2022 single
€ Happy Now (2022)
♦ 5 Years Behind (2020)
⇔ Would You Rather? (2018)
I Just Read About That... 
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