Review: Against Me! and Bleached enchant at Showbox
The much anticipated show for Against Me! was upon their Seattle fans and the Showbox Market filled up quickly on a Saturday night. The rock band that formed in 1997 is currently on tour supporting their latest album, Shape Shift with Me, which was released last year.
Bleached, one of our favorite new finds from this year went on stage right before them and won every person standing in the audience. We first caught the band in April touring with The Damned and we’ve liked them ever since. Their fresh punk rock sound, along with their on stage presence is a great mix for greatness. The Clavin sisters have formed a dynamic recipe that has everyone intrigued and left wanting more. Welcome the Worms is a great record, and their Can You Deal? EP quickly became favorite.
Around half past ten the silhouettes of the headlining band started leaving the green room as they walked over to take the stage. Laura Jane Grace grabbed her guitar and started with “True Trans Soul Rebel,” as her hair flew across her face. The fans had no problem getting right into it, making the floor of the Showbox shake as they kept jumping around. The band followed with one of their biggest hits, “I Was a Teenage Anarchist,” and the floor turned into a huge mosh pit that didn’t stop until the last note.
Bassist Inge Johansson, who joined the band in 2013, stood on Grace’s right side constantly moving around and interacting with the crowd. Drummer Atom Willard, who also joined in 2013 pounded his instrument in the back, sometimes losing a drum stick from the intensity. Longtime guitarist James Bowman stood to the left providing riffs to our favorite tunes.
The stage setup was mostly amps to create the noise we all craved and a banner of the band logo served as their background. Grace spoke a few times most often introducing a song and the inspiration behind it, but mostly was giving notes on how important it is to be yourself in the world and to not let anyone tell you otherwise. They played songs from their latest record, Shape Shift With Me, a killer cover of The Replacements “Androgynous,” and all the favorites fans longed to hear.
The show was loud and ignited every emotion in our bodies, and brought up all the forgotten angst that comes along with the poetic words of Grace. Her powerful vocals along with her fragile insecurities that are transmitted in the performance, make them an exceptional band. This is something you must experience for yourself to understand how strong it can be.
Check out more photos from the show HERE.