Black Midi
Black Midi was an absolute juggernaut at Casbah, San Diego
In 2019, Black Midi flew across the Atlantic Ocean to partake in their first U.S. tour. Some of the only proof of their existence were a few favorable articles, a semi-viral KEXP session, and a cryptic live album recorded with Can frontman Damo Sazuki. They visited San Diego’s very own SPACE that March and blew away the small crowd with an insane 90 minute set that featured the majority of their album debut “Schlagenheim”. Since then it’s been an astronomical rise for the London lads as they are now viewed as one of the most cutting edge bands on the scene. That narrative was accentuated with the release of their sophomore album “Cavalcade” released earlier this May to critical acclaim. They brought their incredible talent this past Friday to the Casbah and brought the house down.
To open the show, New York’s Slauson Malone graced the stage to perform a mellow and minimalistic set of experimental soul and hip hop tunes. A member of collective Standing on the Corner and part of duo Medslaus, Slauson Malone has been making big waves in the underground for the past few years. Playing beats and samples from a laptop and accompanied by a cellist, Slauson Malone would go from sparse whispers to tortured screams with a heavy and heart-wrenching delivery.
Black Midi’s set kicked off with 953, the initial track from Schlagenheim. This track, as well as all others from Schlagenheim, now incorporated saxophone from Kaidi Akinnibi and keys from Seth Evans. Other than the blistering Near DT, MI, the rest of the set consisted of songs from “Cavalcade.” Songs like John L and Slow highlighted each member’s extreme technical abilities. From Geordie Greep’s signature voice and relentless fretting, Cameron Picton’s pounding bass lines and Morgan Simpson’s otherworldly drumming, Black Midi is an absolute must-see live band that no doubt will only get stronger live as they keep touring.
https://bmblackmidi.com/tourdates/
Photos by : Nicholas Regalado
Review by: Michael Brogan