Philly’s A Country Western, Ruth in the Bardo join Horse Jumper of Love for riverside show
4333 Collective is hosting numerous shows for the Spruce Harbor Live & Local Series this summer, and last week local outfits A Country Western and Ruth in the Bardo joined Boston’s Horse Jumper of Love for a free 90-plus degree performance along the Delaware River.
Horse Jumper of Love | Photo by Megan Matuzak for WXPN
The Spruce Harbor Live & Local Series of concerts is in full swing, and last Thursday Massachusetts-based Horse Jumper of Love were joined by local acts A Country Western and Ruth in the Bardo for a show along the Delaware River. Despite the 90-plus degree temperatures, a breeze cooled down The Lazy Hammock crowd, proving that you can listen to introspective and melancholic shoegaze outside of a dark club.
Ruth in the Bardo — comprised of drummer Dorthia Aurora, bassist and vocalist Ash Hoffman, guitarist Tyler McConnell, and vocalist Ruth Trupiano — are working their way to a third album.
Trupiano plugged the band’s upcoming Aug. 15 album release date between songs. “What is it called?!” someone shouted from the crowd, prompting her to swerve back to the microphone, “you’re not missing the mark, you’re missing the point.”
Their latest single, “Shiver Now,” is glitchy and dynamic. Its accompanying music video, which stylistically feels like ’00s webcam in the days of Skype, got play during their set on a large video screen hanging on stage.
Actually, Ruth in the Bardo’s set was made up of mostly unreleased songs. “Fisgador” is an opus in and of itself, fusing shoegaze with post punk and rhythmically complex jazz-driven music breaks. you’re not missing the mark, you’re missing the point. maybe their most impressive release yet. Time will tell.
Philly’s own twangy shoegaze outfit A Country Western is made up of Derek Hengemihle on guitar and vocals, Paris Parker on bass and guitar, Garrett Miades on drums and guitar, and Erik Hilbert on guitar and bass. As the sun gave them a browbeating, A Country Western steadied into their cool, nonchalant tone.
The band’s set Thursday included popular tracks “Keeping up with the Joneses” and “Crossing out My Lines” off their 2022 split with TAGABOW An Insult to the Sport. Both are a separation from the gentle undertow of A Country Western’s discography to date. As Hilbert’s dry yell and brashness scratched across the The Lazy Hammock crowd, the rawness was real.
Videos played on the on-stage video screen — dubbed an honorary band member — varied by band, and the footage is sourced via YouTube and/or artist-provided content. However, it was up to some shenanigans and played an unfortunately timed advertisement for incontinence relief that interrupted footage of an international sailing contest that A Country Western chose to play during their set.
Philly last saw Boston’s Horse Jumper of Love in August 2024 at Union Transfer in the lead up to their fifth studio album Disaster Trick via Run For Cover Records (which also released early music for Tiger’s Jaw, whose triumphant return at Union Transfer this past April was legendary).
The breeze turned into gusty winds during Horse Jumper of Love’s set, blowing vocalist and guitarist Dimitri Giannopoulos’ hair back in a dramatic fashion, revealing the shifting emotions painted across his face. Each brief wind current physically felt like a light push and added a surreal atmosphere, like during “Spaceman” from their 2017 self-titled release. This atmospheric layer enhanced Horse Jumper of Love’s music, making Thursday night at The Lazy Hammock stage in Spruce Harbor Park unexpectedly unique.
