Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine
Edited by Fiza Javid

Thalia Hall Chicago
Sat 11/26/22

The Sanctum Dark Music Festival is in town over the long Thanksgiving Weekend, with two days at Thalia Hall, and the last day at the Empty Bottle in Chicago.
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Because of prior commitments, could only hook up for one of the three days, which was Day Two, with headliner Boy Harsher, along with RIKI, Pixel Grip, Sacred Skin and opener Club Music.

This day hits hard folks, and as Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher so eloquently put it at the beginning of their set- "This is a night of dance. A night to dance the night away. I better see everybody dance".
Of course she says this with a wicked grin across her face- but just like that- she got her wish.
Some twelve songs or so total for their set, and everyone was dancing.
Main floor, balcony, balcony side boxes- didn't matter.
Everybody was dancing.

Was amazing to see this from various vantage points- from the pit, to the back of the main floor, or even from the front rail balcony- everyone was having a blast and dancing.
From opener "Keep Driving", which builds on a slow and wicked pulsating groove, through "Give Me a Reason", and then into "Morphine"..everything about their set was elements of a slow and seductive burn and build, with lots of tension, and then more tension with the beats. all the while some modicum of restraint.

It's a cool and wicked trance, Boy Harsher songs, knowing full well immersed in the beats and the heavy whisper vocals from Jae, and her partner Gus in all things electronic, that when immersed in a few songs in their set, you have a sense that the tightened rubber brand can break, and they could easily unleash the hounds.
If they wished to go dark and heavy, they obviously and easily could, punctuated by screams and yowls and breakbeat synths followed by pummeling drums.
You just can sense it over an over again.

And the order of the day with Boy Harsher is restraint.
Followed by a slow and heavy and seductive build.
And they stay on track with this, even with an awesome cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", made heavier and with forlorn, courtesy of the seductive sometimes spoken word vocal of Jae Matthews.
Not an easy song to pull off this way, knowing Isaak's take on his song is utter heartbreak, with that falsetto of his.

To turn the coin over on its side, and present Wicked Game this way just adds to the luster of wanting, followed by lusting, like a black panther in the jungle at midnight, and all you see is her eyes- not the beast.
And so it is with Boy Harsher, a duo built on dark and seductive beats, built for the nightclubs after midnight, and proven time and time again with heavy touring followed by instinctive record releases.

There's more to them that obviously, but still, the theatrics of it all.
This is their second foray into Chicago this year, having done a residency at the Bottle I believe earlier in the year- and still, some months later, they don't grow old and weary.
They're ready to dance, and their ready with seductive beats upon beats to push you to dance.

It just goes to show with all of their influences and profound ideas and visual concepts which apparently they have in abundance, Jae and Gus have their hearts in the right place, and soon everyone will follow along for the ride for support.
I for one, am along for the ride- whenever, wherever.
Same goes for Chicago's Pixel Grip.
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A forty five minute ish set, also punctuated with sexy pulsating beats and catchy dark pop hooks.

Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine
Edited by Fiza Javid

Tuesday - November 15, 2022

The problem with not being the headliner in a show, and being the opener?
A rather limited set.
45 minutes to be exact.

Such a shame that they couldn't go on a bit longer- say even an hour total tops.
And for a band such as Drab Majesty, who swim circles around ethereal dream pop, and transport you right from their opener "The Other Side"- their sonic weave can rise majestically, on an instant, wishing you could just sit back and stay in such a revelatory state for the entire night.

And they make it look all so easy, taking a deep dive into their catalog, into "Oxytocin', and then the deliciousness of "Dot in the Sky".
And it says lots that the main floor of the Riviera Theatre, and the proceeding levels up to the main bar at the back of the house was rather packed for the opener, knowing full well that through word of mouth, these guys are the real deal.
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The mysteriousness and allure with Deb Demure on guitar and vocal, and Mona D on synths and vocal says lots about cool detachment, looking sophisticated in there suits, with complementary white wigs and dark shades adding more to their overall aesthetic and approach to performing.

Have seen them multiple times in this manner, and variations of, down to their bright white chest lights, in full display fro their closing song "Not Just a Name".
All of it, in a limited setting such as tonight at the Riviera Theatre, never grows old.
I'll take 45 minutes of Drab Majesty- which is better than not seeing Drab Majesty.

To some degree, they've become a cult phenomenon, with their sense of detachment, and basically letting their music do the talking, and let you do the talking in describing their music around the water cooler.
And to be able to consistently do this on the up and up, building upon the release of "Modern Mirror', which came out back in 2019, says lots in my opinion, considering that no matter the fan base- metal, goth, dark wave, dream pop, whatever- these guys are loved.
Just look at me as an example.
When asked what I've been listening to when the topic comes up- I always bring Drab Majesty up.