I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: November 7, 2025] Bleary Eyed

I was supposed to see Bleary Eyed with Hello Mary back in 2024.   But family things came up and I couldn’t go.  I don’t always try to see bands that I missed for one reason or another. And I certainly don’t with opening bands.  But it is fun to see a band that I was supposed to and check them off an imaginary list.

Bleary Eyed is from Philadelphia so I’m surprised I have seen them on more bills, but I consider myself lucky that there are so many good Philly bands that can get tossed onto a bill sometimes as the first or second opener.

Bleary Eyed is the brainchild of Nathaniel Salfi who sings and plays guitar.  He started the project in 2015 and has had a mostly revolving lineup.  Margot Whipps joined the band on vocals and guitar a couple of years ago (she’s also credited with bass).

Bleary Eyed turned out to be a classic-sounding shoegaze band with chorusing guitars and washes of sound.  There were also some keyboard flourishes and two singers.    Nathaniel has a somewhat deeper voice that flows perfectly with the sound.

I enjoyed the way they mixed up the sound with some really good loud/quiet shifts in Wreck.  There was also some good My Bloody Valentinesque soloing at the opening of 2 True.  And a great opening riff on Upset which was sung by Margot.  I felt like her vocals were not loud enough, although it may have been that I was on the other side and everyone on my side was loud.

They slowed things down for Pennies but ramped things up again for Shimmering Away (a shoegaze title if there ever was) and Smile which had some of the loudest guitars of the set and were followed by the quietest song Heaven Year, sung by Margot.  I fear that the quiet part wasn’t entirely respected by the audience, but it was a good breather for the rocking Smile which closed the set.

So at other shows they ended with a quieter song called Jersey Shore which I think they didn’t play tonight. But that’s okay.  It was a great show and I’m glad I finally caught them.  I’d happily see them again.

Susan €
Wreck ß
2 True €
Easy €
Upset ¾
Pennies ¾
Birds ¾
Shimmer On €
Special €
Heaven Year €
Smile €

€ Easy (2025)
¾ A Julia’s War Triple Split (2023)
ß Bleary Eyed (2023)

There’s a high quality video (from gloss) of them from D.C. playing a little more than what I saw