White Lung played The Teragram in LA (review)

White Lung brought their tour to Los Angeles over the weekend, playing The Teragram on July 8 with openers Plague Vendor and High Functioning Flesh.

Unfortunately I was too late to catch the LA-based heavy electronic outfit High Functioning Flesh, but I did get to experience the opening howls of Plague Vendor. They played a high-energy set of their theatrical garage punk, getting the crowd pretty well into it.

White Lung were up next, playing a brief but fun set that certainly left me feeling like I got my money’s worth. For all the gloss demonstrated by their great new LP Paradise, seeing the band live reminds you that they are still fundamentally a punk band. That means a few things, among them that seeing White Lung in a venue as big as the Teragram feels a little weird. I couldn’t help but wish I was somewhere smaller and sweatier, with a rawer mix and a closer view of Mish Way’s effortlessly commanding stage presence (my only other live experience with them was at Pitchfork Fest, which, you know, same deal).

All that said, they are still a great live act, and Mish’s above-discussed presence makes up for pretty much any small gripe I might have with the venue. After opening with some of the lighter stuff from Paradise (and hitting the show-stopping, poppiest thing they’ve ever done “Below” earlier in the set than I imagined), things began to get heavy real fast, and that’s when I felt the set really took off. The Deep Fantasy material, in particular, really played great in that setting, the crowd singing along to bangers like “Down it Goes” and “Drown With The Monster” and proving why this band has been able to headline bigger venues. The rhythm section is rock solid here, and really does act as the backbone for the two legitimately virtuosic performers in Mish and guitarist Kenneth William. Kenneth is really a sight live. As impressive as his playing is on record, live is a different animal. He’s not only talented, he’s unique; I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone play quite like him, and his style is so important to the band’s sound and personality. Between Kenneth and Mish, they’ve got two of the most interesting performers working, and it makes for an excellent live show.

White Lung are still on tour, and they’ll be in NYC for Panorama later this month. They also have Sound on Sound and Riot Fest coming up. Check out more instagrams from the show below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHs8LTxhOc4/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHs8Px4h0qI/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHs8sIQhyP6/