Car Seat Headrest at House of Blues 3/26
In May 2020, one month before their Boston concert was supposed to take place, Car Seat Headrest canceled their tour because of COVID-19. I understood that there was no safe way to hold the concert, but I was immensely disappointed that I would not be able to see my favorite band with my friends. So, obviously, when they announced a 2022 tour, I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale. My high school friends and I had planned to go to Boston together and try to get a good spot for the show, but our plans were shaken when my press request was granted. On the morning of the concert, I found out that I’d be reviewing a concert for a band I hold dearly. I entered the House of Blues on March 26th with the camera bag on my hip and butterflies in my stomach, since this was my first time shooting photos for Melisma.
Earlier that day, Car Seat Headrest announced that their opener, Bartees Strange, could not perform due to COVID in the touring party. I was sad to miss out on hearing a new artist perform live, but the acts that replaced Strange did not disappoint. First to emerge was Andrew Katz, who walked over to an unexplained easel with some paint markers in hand. He drew a few broad lines across the canvas and colorful dots before eventually explaining what they would be doing for the opener. After Andrew’s brief art show, Ethan Ives came onstage to perform some songs from his solo project, Toy Bastard. It was not hard to tell that Ethan’s music was inspired by his participation in Car Seat Headrest. He played a great few songs before Car Seat Headrest frontman Will Toledo walked out on stage, and the crowd immediately detonated into screams. Will sat down with his guitar and played some songs from his high school project, Nervous Young Men. After two of these songs, he finished his portion of the opener with an acoustic rendition of “Sober to Death,” one of my favorite Car Seat Headrest songs. The opener ended with Andrew’s return to center stage to perform a couple songs from his and Will’s side project 1 Trait Danger.
I spent 30 breathless minutes messing with photo settings and becoming acquainted with the other photographers until the band emerged. Will took center stage in his notorious costume: a gas mask with sewn-on ears and a bright orange utility jumpsuit. I’m not exactly sure how or why he wears this onstage, but it made for some interesting photos. They started their set with “Crows”, one of the songs originally released by Will on Bandcamp. The eerie energy of this song built up a massive tension that would soon be released in the more upbeat “Weightlifters.” This song was the first of many that would be performed from the band’s most recent album, Making A Door.
Making a Door… is the album being promoted on Car Seat Headrest’s 2022 tour. In addition to “Weightlifters,” they performed “Hymn,” “Hollywood,” “Can’t Cool Me Down,” and “Deadlines (Hostile)” from this album. Their new electronic rock sound made for an interesting vibe: the songs were definitely uplifted by the live performance and the crowd’s reaction. “Hollywood,” as I had expected, had the whole front of the crowd jumping up and down in unison, screaming “Hollywood makes me want to puke!” Out of all of the Making a Door… songs being performed that night, I preferred “Deadlines (Hostile)” the most. I picked up a much more earnest feeling from Will and the band than I did with any other songs from the album.
Intertwined between the songs from Making A Door… were some older Car Seat Headrest tracks. I had the opportunity to shoot photos during “Fill in the Blank,” one of the most popular songs off their 2016 album, Teens of Denial. The energy I felt from the people along the barrier behind me was incredible; there was an emotional connection between the fans and the band as Will sang that chorus over and over again. Another notable moment was the band playing “Bodys,” “1937 State Park,” and “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” all back-to-back. My friend and I squeezed each other’s hands excitedly as we recognized each one. This three-in-a-row run was enough to render me useless to the world for roughly 15 minutes. My animation subsided as the band played Ethan’s song, “It’s My Child (I’ll Do What I Like),” as I had never heard it and wanted to soak it in effectively. Ethan made a great impression on the crowd. They gave him a fiery reaction.
As the end of the show approached, the energy from the people surrounding me picked up. Car Seat played another Teens of Denial favorite, “Destroyed by Hippie Powers.” This song is more striking to hear live after a semester and a half of college. It becomes a bit more relatable being that it’s written about a fly on the wall at a college party. They shifted to the ever-synthy “Can’t Cool Me Down” before eventually starting their three-part song, “Beach Life-in-Death.” Myself and the sea of people around me managed to sing out every word in this 13-minute song. The collective sentiment I felt from everyone around me made this my absolute favorite performance out of the entire concert. It’s a song that many Car Seat Headrest fans can all relate to; it has enough depth and potential for different interpretations that it could be felt by almost anyone. 13 minutes went by in what felt like 30 seconds.
This concert proved to be more than what I expected to have missed in 2020. I had the opportunity to be just a few feet away from my favorite band. I could not say the same for a 17 year old me. I also got to enjoy the feeling of dancing with the crowd after my three song photo period ended. Never in my dreams did I expect to shoot photos and write a review for Car Seat Headrest, and I almost wonder how a high school Hannah would react to this experience.
