Indie pop newcomer Blondshell came through World Cafe Live for this week’s Free At Noon show, and proceeded to rock the house as a four-piece band. It has been a busy year for them, with the release of their self-titled debut album, along with multiple TV appearances, a stop at NON-COMM and a US tour beginning tonight with a sold-out show at PhilaMOCA.
The group took the stage backed by a tapestry that loosely resembled a wall; a window, some plants and a mouse hole established the minimal stage setting. Fronted by Sabrina Teitelbaum, the band consisted of electric guitar, electric bass, and drums, likely the setup for tonight’s PhilaMOCA show. The band began with the album opener “Veronica Mars,” and followed it with the post-album single “Cartoon Earthquake.” This track was exclusively released through the Spotify Singles series last October, however it recently hit other platforms on July 7th. The performance felt comfortable, confident, and collected as Teitelbaum’s stage presence was rather grounded. She strolled around the front of the stage holding her mic, taking time to look around the venue, and allowing herself to deliver an emotive performance of each track.
Blondshell | photo by Paige Walter for WXPN
Singles “Sepsis” and “Joiner” gave life to the fans, as a few groups of people in the GA crowd expressed their excitement while singing along to the memorable hooks. Teitelbaum turned the mic towards some vocal fans for her “hit all at once like sepsis” line, and cracked a smile. Blondshell began the second half of the set with the fan favorite “Olympus.” A standout moment of the set turned out to be the sparse, vulnerable performance of “Dangerous,” the album’s closing track. Teitelbaum’s vocals were spot on, washing through the venue with a chillingly potent honesty. Her unsure, occasionally worrying lyrics are a large part of what makes her debut album such a noteworthy listen.
Blondshell closed out their set with the steady rockers “Salad” and “Tarmac,” bringing the crowd’s energy back up. Viewers watched with a consistent headbob, while also pouring out their applause for each track. “You guys really showed up here at noon,” Teitelbaum stated, as if they had expected anything less from a free show featuring such talent as themselves. Although the band excluded their second single “Kiss City,” an important track for the band’s early success, the audience roared with cheers as the group thanked them for coming.
Although Blondshell’s show tonight at PhilaMOCA is sold out, you can catch them on CBS’s Saturday Sessions on July 22nd. Their headlining US tour will go throughout the summer, and in the fall they will make their return to Philadelphia on Liz Phair’s Guyville Tour, stopping at Franklin Music Hall.