The Orwells
A group of underage boys from Illinois stormed The Irenic on Friday night. The Orwells, alongside opening band The Walters, played an all-ages show at the historic, holy venue in North Park and things got crazy.
With the smells of pheromones sprayed on thick, boys and girls, young and old, were swooned by the sweet indie rock of The Walters. Their sound combined doo-wop pop with garage-bred angst. The lead singer wore a band shirt in the logo style of the hipster sparkling water brand La Croix and they have an EP called Songs For Dads if that tells you much. They are returning to San Diego, play the Soda Bar on April 30, so please attend.
The Walters
Next up, The Orwells. Lead singer Mario Cuomo dyed his long blond locks a dark shade of blue, making him look like a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Tommy Wiseau of The Room.
The five piece from Chicago, who started their career 4 years ago and fresh out of high school, are touring for their recently released album Terrible Human Beings.
While their song lyrics still capture the spark of youth, their performance felt older – embodying the style and mannerisms of past rock gods. Cuomo whipped his hair, swung his microphone, pranced around flamboyantly, stared deep into the first row’s souls and drunkenly proclaimed he was only in it for the “money and pussy”. It almost felt like this was their reunion tour instead of a tour for their second album, and the band was deeply jaded.
Whatever the case, they put on a killer show. New songs like “They Put A Body In The Bayou” and “Buddy” are fast, catchy and polished. A small mosh pit broke out, sending teen girls wearing mid-drifts flying around.
They ended their set to the seven-minute “Double Feature” with Cuomo wandering off stage mid-song. They came out for an encore, playing their 10M Spotify listened track “Who Needs You” while Mario destroyed their wooden backdrop. I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way.