vundabar @ the sinclair, 9/15/22

 

first song: Alien Blues

current favorites: Oulala, PETTY CRIME (please just go listen to it), and Alien Blues, of course

The show started off with a bang. No, literally, the openers (@pons_the_band) immediately set the fire alarm off. The crowd of 525 people (i'm assuming, since that's capacity and Vundabar sold out both Cambridge shows) patiently waited outside of The Sinclair as police and firefighters checked out the building.

It was kind of cold and I felt silly standing there alone, but everyone, even the scariest looking fans at any show I'd ever seen, had nothing but smiles on their faces and only positive things to say. Everyone here is so cool, I thought. What the fuck am I doing here?

We all rushed back inside as soon as we could and Pons finished their set in such a way that I knew someone in this crowd really must've hit the alarm themselves or something, because my GOD these motherfuckers knew how to perform! Are they rockstars? Is their music techno? If they're just shrieking into the microphone, how did it sound that good? Each band member was wearing a skin-tight suit the color of flesh, looking thin as rails on that stage and yet their energy was unlike anything I've ever seen before. There was not one person standing still in that entire room from start to finish. Pons just might be the best thing to ever come out of Brooklyn (and you're right, I don't know literally anything else that's come out of there).

Then came Vundabar. Vundabar, wow... absolute beauts. I love them so much. They are more than just a one-hit-wonder from TikTok, but I'm glad it has increased their fanbase. Their music deserves to be put out there! They've been in the game for ten years and they know exactly how to give their fans what they want. Between all the Batman impressions with the crowd (Robert Pattinson, of course), one insanely drunk girl screaming at the top of her lungs from the balcony, and the thrift store televisions lining the stage, I think I fell in love. I think everyone else did, too. There I was in a sea of people smiling and laughing, sweatily jumping around having the time of their lives. I was pleasantly surprised when they got Alien Blues out of the way pretty quickly during the set. You'd never be able to guess which of their songs was the best. I was devastated when they didn't play Oulala...til the crowd wouldn't shut the fuck up, encouraging them to come back out and play it. Did I cry? What do you think... It's not a sad song or anything. In fact, it's pretty sexy. But I was just really happy to be there.

Thank you Vundabar and Pons for making my first concert around these parts one of my favorite thus far. I can't wait to come back to The Sinclair again and again and again. Enjoy this picture of Brandon Hagen being the most perfect angel baby rockstar ever.