I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: February 16, 2024] Sloppy Jane

I was vaguely aware of Sloppy Jane before this show was announced. I didn’t realize that Phoebe Bridgers was in the band a long time ago.  I certainly didn’t know that they were a theatrical practically avant-garde sorta punk band with a front woman who was amazing.

Haley Dahl leads this band of fascinating musicians which includes a cello (Daniel Hass) two viola (one may be a violin) Ruby Wang and Isabella Bustanoby who also plays bass.

There’s also Lily Reszi Rothman on keys and flute.  Mostly hidden from my view was a drummer whose name is Kim (I couldn’t hear the last name) and a guitarist whose name is, I believe Ryan Howe.

The show began with an instrumental Overture–Haley conducted the strings and keys with some crazily wild moves, including jumping in the air.

The strings segued after some five minutes (and since I didn’t know what to expect, I thought maybe it was all like this) into “Party Anthem,” a quiet song that builds into a catchy song with lots of great backing vocals that turns into a really fun song with a lengthy “la la la” melody that everyone sang.

The song segued into the piano ballad which features the line “I pledge allegiance to Jesus and Your Living Room Floor.”  This mellow song segued into another mellow song, although this one was far from chill.  A classic murder ballad, “Judy’s Bedroom”

You cleaned the dirt from your shoes
Out of Judy Bruce’s bedroom
The gesture did not get you very far
Because when they found her dead
In the foldings of her dress there was
Fibers from the lining of your car

All with a very upbeat “la la la” section.

It was followed by the sultry “Bark Like a God” in which Haley removed her suit jacket to reveal her more revealing outfit underneath.

Haley sat on a barstool and proceeded to recite the opening to “Peroxide Beach” (the crowd went crazy for this).  They went even crazier when the band launched into the punk sing along “Where’s My Wife.”  And sing along we did, especially when Haley jumped into the crowd and demanded everyone sing along.

She then told us about a couple of new songs that she hadn’t released yet.  The second one was an older song that had no official release yet so it was new to everyone (they recently played it live with Phoebe Bridgers).

Haley was such a great front woman–she was all over the stage, singing in people’s faces, climbing over by the support poles and even onto the drums.

The final song was The Constable, which everyone was pretty excited for and which was interrupted so that she could introduce the band and make sure that everyone wanted to celebrate New Year’s with a countdown.

She loves New Years and believes  that every day you should be able to start over again.

I really enjoyed the show, although I didn’t enjoy the studio versions of the song as much when I listened later.  I think the theatricality is everything.

SETLIST

1. Overture ⊗
2. Party Anthem ⊗
3. Jesus and Your Living Room Floor ⊗
4. Judy’s Bedroom ⊗
5. Bark Like A God ∈
6. Peroxide Beach ∈
7. Where’s My Wife ∈
8. new song
9. Claw Machine *new
10. The Constable ⊗

⊗ Madison (2021)
∈ Willow (2018)

 

Here’s a similar show from PhilaMoca back in March of 2022.   Thanks to Maarkit Aneight.