NonCOMM Recap: Titus Andronicus explosively kicks off Free at Noon

Titus Andronicus | photo by Ashley Gellman for WXPN | agellmanphotos.com

Midday host Helen Leicht took to the stage as the clock struck noon today, much like she does every Friday for WXPN’s traditional Free at Noon sets. Today’s midweek set was a special exception, however. To kick off NonCOMM’s run of Free at Noon sets, Leicht welcomed up Jersey-based punk rockers Titus Andronicus to the stage. Leicht prefaced the performance by noting the duo of Patrick Stickles on electric guitar and Alex Molini on keys would be performing an “acoustic” set. The following half hour would unfold as quite possibly the loudest acoustic set the Free at Noon crowd has witnessed to date.

Stickles’ gravely cadence led the way through cuts off Titus Andronicus’ latest LP, 2018’s A Productive Cough. Opening with “Above The Bodega (Local Business),” Titus Andronicus showed flashes of heartland rock through rowdy Americana grooves and foot-stompin’ piano parts care of Molini perched on the massive Roland keyboard.

Operating on punk time, the band stretched their 4-song set to a full half hour by blending the sprawling mid-set tracks “Mass Transit Madness (Goin’ Loco’)” into “Number One (In New York),” and closing with an explosive rendition of 2015’s “Dimed Out” from rock opera album The Most Lamentable Tragedy.

Check out the full setlist below, and pick up +@’s A Productive Cough through Merge Records.

Setlist:
Above the Bodega (Local Business)
Mass Transit Madness (Goin’ Loco’)
Number One (In New York)
Dimed Out