Bleeding Rainbow thrash and shred at Johnny Brenda’s (photos, recap, setlist)

The past few months have been a whirlwind of activity for Philly foursome Bleeding Rainbow, between signing with a label (Kanine Records), prepping a new LP (Yeah Right, out January 29), and scoring a sweet opening spot on tour with A Place to Bury Strangers. There is no doubt that the four-piece are well on their way to becoming one of Philly’s biggest bands. But that doesn’t mean they’ve lost sight of what rock n’ roll is really about: letting loose and having fun. Friday night at Johnny Brenda’s, the band treated fans to a short but energetic set of hazy jams and thrash-y freak-outs, mostly drawn from Yeah Right.

Guitarist and founding member Rob Garcia has joked that Yeah Right is approximately 75% influenced by My Bloody Valentine, but Friday night’s performance felt decidedly more Sonic Youth. Opener “Wasted Youth” exploded like a volcano of pounding beats and energy with Greg Franz attacking his drum set, while early single “Pink Ruff” showcased bassist Sarah Everton’s vocals, emerging like a light from a grungy guitar haze. Compared to the songs on previous release Prism Eyes (completed when the band was just a duo), the new material felt denser and more complex, although certain elements (Garcia and Everton’s perfect minor harmonies, pounding drum lines) remained intact.

New tune “Monochrome” was a set highlight, as Garcia and Everton swapped instruments and Everton bounded into the crowd, wailing, while follower “Losing Touch” felt achingly cathartic, as if the band raged to rid themselves of pain. And Yeah Right closer “Get Lost” proved an epic set-ender, as the lights flashed, Everton laid on the floor, attacking her bass, and guitarist Al Creedon railed about like a madman. It’s no surprise that after such a showing, the band forewent an encore — they had already poured their souls into the tunes, and playing encores is so not punk rock.

Setlist:
Wasted Youth
Pink Ruff
Shades of Eternal Night
Monochrome
Losing Touch
Always on My Mind
Drift Away
Cover the Sky
Get Lost

Philly psych-rockers Far-Out Fangtooth opened the show, their dark and relentless tunes transforming the venue into a vortex of goth-y doom. Dual vocalists/guitarists Nick Kulp and Joe Kusy wove bleak, angst-y soundscapes — the former channeling Robert Smith a bit with his spiky hair and brooding demeanor — while drummer Vince Alvaré pounded his floor tom and Tania Mesterhazy held things down on bass. The band’s 40-minute set passed like a fantastical trip into psych rock’s dark underbelly, shifting between insular and searching, merciless and aggressive, but remaining uncompromisingly spellbinding.