Review: Acid Tongue Live @ Chop Suey with Sloucher, Pleasures
Acid Tongue // Sloucher // Pleasures
Live @ Chop Suey
July 7, 2016
By Gary Horn
Photos by Christine Mitchell
Pleasures kicked off the July 7 show at the Chop Suey with a series of happy and wandering (yet pleasingly tight) songs. Relying on clean, harmonized guitar riffs, the band delivered groovy, unpretentious tunes you’d imagine echoing across college campuses throughout America. The thin crowd mostly swayed during their set but always responded with light claps and cheers.
Next up was Sloucher, performing songs off their now-available debut EP, Certainty. A band with a storied local music past (Pale Noise, Hibou and The Globes, among others) , Sloucher brought a noticeably heavier slant of indie rock to the show. Brooding rhythms and thoughtful lyrics were mixed with small traces of Americana. For the most part, band members kept to themselves, rocking in place, which contributed to the audiences’ concentration on the trance-inducing echo and reverb.
Acid Tongue finished the night with a surprisingly varied set list, ranging from easy listening psych rock to distortion-filled, Pacific Northwest alternative. Guy Keltner (vox/guitar), Ian Cunningham (drums) and Jacob Rose (bass) kept the performance interesting, delivering energy throughout, matching each song’s feel and catering to audience reaction. Throw in a little humor (supposedly the last delivery of “My Girl”?) and an attention grabbing leap from the stage by Jacob, and you have a show worth telling your friends about. Be on the lookout next month for the release of their next EP, Beautiful Disaster.
Overall, this was a nicely matched bill; just three psychedelic pop, fuzz-imbued Seattlite bands hanging out with friends, playing short 30-minute sets with no expectations. All that was missing was a beach, a fire pit and some actual dancing.
Audio recordings courtesy of Chop Suey and the bands. Photos courtesy of Christine Mitchell. Follow her on Instagram at @housetornado.