XPN Fest Recap: Kississippi conquers the Marina Stage to open day two

photo by Cameron Pollack for WXPN | cameronpollackphotography.com

“Philadelphia gobbles up the stars / a thousand miles from where you are / if my arms were long enough I’d reach that far,” Zoë Allaire Reynolds crooned during “Googly Eyes,” the first song of Kississippi‘s opening set on day two of XPoNential Festival. On the Jerseyarts.com Marina Stage as the afternoon sun shined above, Reynolds and company painted an achingly relatable picture with their music and lyricism. Hailing from across the bridge, the four-piece has a striking live blend of deep riffs, shoegaze elements and no shortage of palpable emotion.

“This is crazy, there’s enough room to move around up here,” Reynolds remarked about the roomy stage after a rendition of “This Song Used To Be About You.” “We should be doing cartwheels.” One eager fan couldn’t help but exclaim, “make it happen!”

Although the band’s signature style features broods and moods, their stage presence was as excited and humble as ever. After a few songs it became clear that the band began to get more comfortable, spreading out and moving around the stage.

“I would come here a lot when I was a kid and I always thought it was cool,” Reynolds said. “It’s great to be a part of it now.”

The band’s final song, “Greyhound,” initially seemed to tone down the mood of the performance, yet the quiet track slowly gained monstrous momentum transforming into an epic ender. At the song’s climax, Reynolds got down on the floor as she repeated the immensely intimate line, “you don’t like to be touched.” Amidst the heat and sweat, it was impossible to ignore the chills that ran down my spine.

Setlist
Googly Eyes
This Song Used To Be About You
Nativities
Unkempt Leather
Indigo
Beehive
Greyhound