PWR BTTM at Knitting Factory
photo by Amanda Hatfield

PWR BTTM packed and beglittered Knitting Factory with Mal Blum & Naked Giants (pics)

PWR BTTM’s sold-out Knitting Factory show was originally scheduled for Shea Stadium but the show was moved during the weeks when Shea was temporarily shut down. PWR BTTM mentioned Shea between songs on Saturday night (2/18), calling the venue their home and saying they wouldn’t be a band without it. While it’s true that PWR BTTM started out playing small stages in DIY venues, they’ve officially outgrown those spaces. A line of beglittered people formed outside Knitting Factory well before doors opened, and someone shrieked, “BAE!” when Ben Hopkins walked by. PWR BTTM’s next NYC show is this summer at the much larger Webster Hall. (By then, their second album, Pageant, will be out via Polyvinyl.) It seems unlikely, though, that PWR BTTM will forget where they came from. Literally — Ben brought their mother along on this tour to sing backup on some of the new songs. (“A punk rock move,” in Ben’s words.) Ben and Liv Bruce’s stage banter has a familial quality to it, too, which is appropriate given that the overall vibe at a PWR BTTM show is being in an inclusive space with your family of choice.

PWR BTTM ended their set with Ben ripping off their dress, and delivering a chant-along “poem designed to kill fascists,” (which Ben also did at their recent solo show) Watch video of that below. Mal Blum & The Blums and Naked Giants opened. Check out pics of all three bands in the gallery above.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQsysszFKlO/

Setlist:

Silly
Ugly Cherries
Big Beautiful Day
LOL
Now Now
Serving Goffman
Answer My Text
New Trick
I Wanna Boi
Nu1
Dairy Queen
West Texas

Encore:
Pageant
C U Around
1994
Trade

photos by Amanda Hatfield