A Triumphant Return: Palehound at The Chapel

On March 10th, 2020, Palehound played at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco for their headline tour with Adult Mom. The next day, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and their tour was canceled. For Palehound, this meant road-tripping from San Francisco to Brooklyn. During this coast-to-coast drive, Palehound wrote many of the songs on their most recent album, Eye On the Bat (2023).

Full of acoustic riffs and candid lyrics underlaid by an unrelenting beat, Eye On The Bat details the changes in lead singer and songwriter El Kempner’s life after this tumultuous shift in March 2020. Shortly after their tour had been canceled, Kempner also broke up with their partner. The album portrays the conflicting and uncertain emotions of this period of time. The title track of the album describes the band’s unwavering resolve during their road trip back from San Francisco, despite pissing “behind the van” and making sandwiches out of the food left in their trunk.

Palehound returned to San Francisco on November 4th at The Chapel, touring this pandemic record with alexalone opening. This concert was my first time at The Chapel and my first time seeing the band. The venue was small, fitting the band’s intimate sound. Prior to the show, concertgoers idled around the bar and the edges of the venue, waiting with drinks in hand. The moment that alexalone began their set, at 9 o’clock sharp, the venue filled with an audience of all ages.

alexalone began their set by unapologetically stating,“We’re loud. There’s earplugs if you want ‘em.” As promised, their performance was raucous and gritty. After a couple of songs, they told us about their day prior to the show. While the band was driving on the highway, an object flew off the windshield of the van – band member Andrew “Drewsky’s” phone. Palehound happened to drive by while they were outside searching for the phone. With the help of the band, the phone was found.

alexalone promised us that we were in for a treat with Palehound – and we were. Palehound entered wearing a shirt that said “Bada Bing!” and began their set with “Good Sex.” The band performed “Independence Day” next, in which Kempner describes breaking up with their partner on the 4th of July, in the midst of firework celebrations and a plea to take everything back —it ends with their commitment to the path taken. After the song, Kempner told us that we were their favorite crowd so far and thanked us. They mentioned the siginificance of playing in San Francisco, as a full circle moment for the band.

“The Clutch,” the album’s most eruptive song, was a crowd favorite. The front of the venue turned into a mini-mosh pit that one audience member termed a “tendermosh.” Fingers pointed at the stage for every repetition of the lyric “you didn’t need my help.”

With the crowd chanted for “one more song,” Kempner returned to the stage alone for a double encore, proclaiming that “these ones are sad.” They requested School of Rock-style chanting before launching into “Fadin’” by themself. “Fadin’,” a slower song, references “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star and lulled the audience into a contemplative state. The entire band returned to play “U Want It U Got It” – their first time playing it on tour.

Eye On The Bat is a confrontation of painful change and a commitment to perseverance. Palehound’s concert at The Chapel on Saturday was a welcome return for them to San Francisco, and a triumphant testament to where these changes can lead us in our lives.