THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: PORCH LIGHT AT THE TROUBADOUR
In my free time, I'm often at my computer, poring over local venue calendars and keeping a Google Doc of upcoming shows I’m interested in. I’m always on the prowl for new music. Is this affinity for discovering new artists a product of my ADHD? Possibly. Or maybe I’m just really open-minded, ya know?
But seeing a new band can be tricky. What are the fans like? What if they suck live? Or even worse, what if they’re boring? I felt a twinge of anxiety as I found myself in West Hollywood on a Saturday night, walking into the iconic Troubadour. Looking around the room, I noticed the audience was fairly young, with plenty of fans without the bright orange wristband required to buy an adult beverage at the bar.
Thankfully, the music soon eased my concerns. Nashville’s Superhero got the crowd moving as the opening act, playing with a youthful exuberance that reminded me of my friends’ bands growing up: making music simply for the love of making music. They also scored some brownie points by saying how excited they were to perform on a stage generations of rock fans consider hallowed ground. We were off to a good start.
The evening’s headliner, Porch Light, had released Hush, their first full-length album on Mom + Pop Music, in September and were now ripping across the country in support of it. Whatever fears of disappointment I still held disappeared the moment I heard shattering glass, followed by “Cold Hearted”—Stone Cold Steve Austin’s entrance music—blaring over the PA as Porch Light took the stage.
Though their music generally leans toward the alternative-indie side, Porch Light is one of those bands that hits harder live. Even the cover art for Hush feels like a perfect encapsulation of their sound: one moment they show disarming tenderness and vulnerability (see “Violence”), and the next they bare their fangs with wailing guitars and a thunderous chorus (“Under”).
The enthusiasm and fury with which vocalist Jackie Uhas moved around the stage immediately made me think of Hayley Williams, while the dramatic way she gesticulated with her arms as she sang reminded me of an opera singer. Mind you, I was never a huge Paramore fan, nor have I ever been to the opera. This is strictly vibes.
Despite the five-piece having only been together for two years, they commanded the room like seasoned veterans. I was equally impressed by the fans themselves, who sang every lyric and kept the energy at a boil throughout the entire set. Sometimes I feel like a fraud when I go to a show knowing only a song or two from the headliner; surrounded by people shouting every word back at the stage, I definitely felt like I had some catching up to do.
Hush is a brisk listen, which left plenty of room for the band to dig into tracks from their earlier EP as well. They eventually brought the night full circle with the previously mentioned banger “Under.” I don’t know why, but I always get a kick out of seeing band members crowd surf, so Jackie launching herself into the audience during the bridge felt like the perfect climax to the night.
I walked into the Troubadour wondering whether taking a chance on another new band would pay off. A few hours later, watching Jackie disappear into a sea of outstretched hands, I had my answer. The daily slog of adulthood and a career can sometimes dull the excitement of discovering something new, but nights like this are a reminder that there are still plenty of good things waiting to surprise you. Maybe compulsively scrolling through venue calendars isn’t such a bad habit after all.
