I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: April 20, 2026] Lástima

I hadn’t heard of Lástima.  They are a Philly band who plays blackgaze which may be a term they made up, or maybe not.  But it makes sense.

They play fast, heavy, dark music with mostly growled vocals.  Back in the day we called these cookie monster vocals.  But cookie monster vocals are for fast singers and I think singers of this style of music sing more like real monsters–slow and deep and creepy AF.

What set this band apart was the inclusion of Thuy Nguyen on violin! (!).  From where I was you couldn’t always hear the violin (again, I need to stand further back from the stage) but when the rest of the band quieted down, the violin was a wonderfully mournful component.

I was in front of Eric Mauro on guitars and Hazel Whitman on bass.  I could kind of see Sam Hyla on drums, but really the most entertaining person was singer/guitarist Richie DeVon.

DeVon sang.  Sometimes in a normal voice (during the quiet section) but usually with a growl or a scream.   There were a few songs (or openings of songs) which had quiet piano parts.  DeVon played them and was usually accompanied by Nguyen on violin.  Toward the end he got down on his knees and screamed his head off while messing about with his effects pedals.  It was quite cathartic. 

I really enjoyed their set quite a lot.  I know that a lot of blackgaze (yep, I’m using it) sounds similar.  And I don’t want to listen to it for fun.  But I really enjoyed the beauty of their quiet sections and the intensity of their fast sections.  I wish I could understand the vocals a little more, but that may have been where I was standing.

DeVon mentioned that most of the songs were from their new album A Pain Bloomed in My Lungs.  I can’t really tell which songs were which, although each song was distinctive in its own way.

When the set was over a fan asked which songs they played and someone said that the first song was new but the rest were from the album.

I love when a Philly band gets to open for shows.  It really shows off how many great and diverse bands are based in Philly these days.