
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 Diegoβs 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 βSchlagenheimβ. Since then itβs 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 βCavalcadeβ 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 Yorkβs 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 Midiβs 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 βCavalcade.β Songs like John L and Slow highlighted each memberβs extreme technical abilities. From Geordie Greepβs signature voice and relentless fretting, Cameron Pictonβs pounding bass lines and Morgan Simpsonβs 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