Nothing at The Sinclair 10/13
Nothing graced the stage around 10pm and said their goodbyes just after 11. The hour-long set flew by as if it were, pun-intended, nothing. It could have been the fact that it was my first concert at the Sinclair since 2019, but the primary reason for that feeling was that I genuinely enjoyed the performance.
I’m often checking the clock (or really my phone) at concerts, but Nothing wouldn’t allow me the chance. Indie Rock and Shoegaze-inspired, Nothing doesn’t attract rowdy crowds and mosh pits galore. So, it could have been easy to wander, but the music kept me engaged. Fans around the room silently and intently stood as dreamy guitars layered with reverberated vocals filled the mid-sized venue with a wall of sound. It was the first time in a long time where I was transported to that “third space” where existence beyond the current moment was obsolete. This feeling is what often epitomizes live music as its own breed of experience, and Nothing held true to that promise.
The set laid in with slower to mid-tempo tunes till midway through when the band played their famed hit, “The Dead are Dumb” from 2016’s Tired of Tomorrow. The rest of the show from that point grew in intensity as more popular songs rolled in, making the concert experience a slow crescendo. Nothing primarily played songs from their latest full-length album, The Great Dismal with songs like “Say Less”, “April Ha Ha” and “Catch a Fade.” They also threw in another Tired of Tomorrow favorite, “Vertigo Flowers”, and “The Carpenter’s Son” from the 2018 record Dance on the Blacktop.
The band rarely spoke during the set, except at that midway point to announce that this was their first stop on a current tour with Frankie Rose and Enumclaw. It felt cool to be a part of the first Nothing tour coming out of lockdown. I cannot say that the banter was teeming with personality, but as a mild introvert myself, I didn’t really care or consider that something I prioritize. I came for the music, and they delivered. I hope the band feels good to be on stage again as I’m sure many do. The fans certainly do.
Nothing is riding this tour on their 2021 release The Great Dismal B-sides, and of course, The Great Dismal, which was released in 2020. If you haven’t checked out this Philly/NYC based band or their latest record, I encourage you to do so. The Great Dismal is one of their best yet, and the encore, with track “Bernie Sanders”, was a surefire closer to please any Boston liberal.
