Pity Sex
By: Kathleen Kelly
Photos By: Charlie Spadone
Pity Sex, Petal, and PWR BTTM charmed the hearts of those attending their hot,summer, Sunday night show.
Pennsylvania- based indie rockers, Petal, opened the night at the Irenic in North Park. Petal offers unique membership, as the band contains only one permanent member, Kiley Lotz. Her band usually consists of members of Tiger’s Jaw, but while on the White Hot Moon Tour, other members were assembled from various friendships. Petal quite literally offers a floral visual, with crocheted roses adorning Lotz’ dress and ornamental flowers inside the drum kit. The airy, achey tunes which Petal is so famous for, brought smiles of adoration to the crowd. Lotz described her experiences on this tour as “…one big love fest; we all love each other so much, you would throw up.”
A suitable celebration for the 1 year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage equality, PWR BTTM shook the stage. PWR BTTM, a queer punk duo, donned fairy wings, glitter beards, and a hatred for boys who have broken their hearts. Although Pity Sex headlined this tour, most attendees of this concert seemed to be there for PWR BTTM. Understandably so, as they won my heart at first glance, and especially upon hearing their silly lyrics and highly specific introductions to songs. Crowd participation, yelling, and dancing fueled the set. The duo took turns between drums, guitar, and vocals; each being as unapologetically gay as the last, trying to top the last vocalist’s impact on the crowd.
Pity Sex played last but definitely not least, charming attendees with many tracks from their recent release; White Hot Moon. The vocalists played off each other’s specific sound; Britty Drake softly crooning and Brennan Greaves strongly stating the facts of love, disappointment and heartbreak. Pity Sex’s sound is fundamentally pop, but tangles itself with shoegaze, emo, and indie rock. This undefined genre perfectly complimented the warm humidity and well attended night of June 26th.
