The Front Bottoms Vitalize Berkeley’s UC Theatre for a Sold Out Night

Even before their newest record You Are Who You Hang Out With dropped in full, The Front Bottoms found themselves on the road for its live debut in North America. On August 10th the alternative folk duo of vocalist/guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich, joined by touring members Erik Kase Romero, Natalie Newbold and Roshane Karunaratne, brought their upbeat melodies and often surreal spoken-word style to the stage for a sold out night at the UC Theatre in Berkeley, California.

On this beginning segment of the tour, seasoned indie musician Kevin Devine, accompanied by his backing band – aptly called The Goddamn Band – was the one to prime the crowd before the headlining set. Devine introduced the crowd to a snippet of his personal set list devoid of the popular collaborative works he had created with members of Manchester Orchestra. With these selections, his versatile vocals pulled the crowd to his whims, invigorating the audience in one moment while manifesting an air of melancholy in the other. Though mature compared to The Front Bottoms’ whimsy, Devine still made for a fitting opening act as his range and emotionality matched the headliner’s crowd well and his casual conversation was easy to like.

The Front Bottoms kicked off their set with “The Beers,” a fan-favorite track off of their 2011 self-titled album – and an introduction informing the audience that their old tastes would be equally catered to as the newest additions to their discography. It was apparent, especially with the strange timing, that they were less on tour for the promotion of their album and more so to simply have a good time with their fans.

Three-fifths of the newest record found its way onto the set list this tour, first composed of the three singles – “Emotional,” “Outlook” and “Punching Bag." With the latter, Sella joked about having performed the song with boxing gloves previously, yet it was a retired act by now because it wasn't cooperative with his acoustic guitar. The singles were eventually joined by “Fake Gold,” Paris” and “Batman.” The last few songs had barely been out a week, and it showed, though the crowd still remained appreciatively attentive for anything that The Front Bottoms had in store for them.

By far, the most sought after song was “Wolfman” off of the 2015 split EP with hip hop artist GDP called Liberty and Prosperity. Chanting in its favor carried on through the encore – and though “Wolfman” had a place on the set list toward the very beginning of the tour, the fans in Berkeley were left still wanting more.

Their encore remained their two most popular songs, “Flashlight” and “Twin Size Mattress.” Unsurprisingly, these songs epitomized exactly why so many people were drawn to their music, as they tackled their heaviest personal experiences with unflinching, brutal directness and upbeat instrumentals. It was clear that there was no regret in turning such pain into art, especially with the crowd harmonizing back, louder than they had been all night.

Like their music can often be, The Front Bottoms were not performers that would take themselves too seriously. Interspersed between songs, Sella had fun “telepathically” communicating with the crowd and promising a poor drawing for a man who requested something to tattoo for his birthday. He performed in just socks and sipped a cup of juice. The atmosphere was so infectiously light that Romero on guitar could not hold back his smiles and even the most melancholic lyrics were communicated with such vibrant energy on both sides of the barricade – the sound of youths collectively trading their worries for a night of being with their like-minds and the band happy to give them a safe space to escape to.

View Full Gallery Here

---