Seattle – Palma Violets released its debut album, 180, earlier this year which we clearly loved so it was a treat to hear most of the songs on the album played live. The band was supposed to play Seattle’s Neumos on October 14 (which is big and dark and awesome) but for reasons unclear, the UK quartet were moved to Neumos’ basement partner, Barboza (which is small and less dark but still usually pretty awesome; just last week Jacco Gardner thoroughly impressed us in the space). With two vocalist and unquantifiable liveliness Palma Violets seemed almost too big for the space that’s at least half filled with bar seating and booth-style tables. They easily filled the venue with their sound and energy, but did so with humility and unbridled enthusiasm.
Despite this slight mismatch of band and venue, Palma Violets didn’t allow the limits of the space inhibit their performance. If you thought that their recorded album delivered heavy emotional punches, it’s nothing in comparison to what Samuel Fryer’s voice does live. The unproduced wail with which he chants some of the band’s most impassioned lyrics (“well I’m loving the high road/ I’ll never ride alone again”) visibly clawed at an audience’s communal heart.
The sizable crowd (it was an impressive showing for a Tuesday night) was equally as involved as the band themselves. While there might not be too much room to move, there was plenty of dancing and engagement from basically everyone there. The band obviously thrived as much off the crowd’s energy and verbally commended all for their sweat-soaked revelry.
SKATERS opened for Palma Violets and it seems the SKATERS’ story is actually pretty akin to Palma Violets’. The New York trio just formed in 2012 and has yet to release a full length album, but the hype around them is already pretty big and the anticipation for a debut is growing (remember how much buildup there was around Palma Violets even before 180?). The band’s show more than lived up to the hype. Even if you had gone into the show knowing the couple of songs that the band has released, familiarity with their music wasn’t a pre-requisite for enjoying their youthful vibe. SKATERS is in the process of recording their debut album which will be released on Warner Bros. Records.
Palma Violets and SKATERS are continuing their US tour before playing San Francisco’s Treasure Island Music Festival; you can check out tour dates here.
