Twelve years after their last album release, alternative indie rock trio Blonde Redhead showcased their most recent work, Sit Down For Dinner (2023), in San Francisco this Monday night. Made to wait for over five years, fans of the classic indie rock band eagerly anticipated hearing this new album. Personally, I love the record. It is in line with the darker undertones present in most of their work, created by consistently heavy guitar and bass lines, and synth waves that fill out the characteristic fuzzy sound of their tracks. This deeply resonant, dark sound is interspersed with lighter, playful percussion elements from Simone Pace on drums, leaving space for Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace’s breathy vocals to round the sound out.
Sit Down for Dinner has been in constant rotation for me since its release on September 29th, so I filed into the venue with the rest of the concert goers, excited to hear these tracks debuted in the Bay Area. Surrounded by a diverse crowd, some at their first ever Blonde Redhead show sporting merch bought that night, others in merch from tours in the early 2000s. The small venue made for a more intimate experience with the artist and the music.
Before the sold out venue filled up, the opener, Angelica Garcia, took the stage to warm the crowd up for the headliner. Though just one woman, she filled the stage with a haunting presence. Punchy vocals and deft mastery of her audio sampler, gave her all she needed to fill the venue with a poignant and deep cutting sound. A contrast to the more ethereal, sparkling sound to come, but sharing that deeply introspective and emotional feeling reminiscent of Blonde Redhead.
Anticipation grew as 9 o’clock drew nearer and Blonde Redhead was set to start. Cheers bounced around the venue as Kazu, Amedeo and Simone took the stage. Instantly sinking into their first song, “Falling Man,” from their 2004 album Misery is a Butterfly. A classic Blonde Redhead album, with honest lyrics laced through a complicated construction of percussion, synth, and gentle guitar lines. Moving through more classics like “Dr Strangeluv,” and “Doll is Mine,” they warmed up a crowd of die-hard, longtime fans for their newer releases. Makino and Pace came together for their vocal performance of “Snowman,” my favorite track on Sit Down For Dinner. It did not disappoint. A deceivingly full sound, carried by Simone Pace on the drums. With lyrics that seem almost tied together, for how they flow seamlessly in and out of underlying sounds. A song that seems to slip through your fingers, much like the melting and constantly reforming snowman Makino and Pace describe in this track. The sound flowed all around as the crowd moved to a gentle, meaningful sway.
Now pulling heavily from Sit Down for Dinner, Makino sang through the two piece collection, “Sit Down for Dinner, Pt. 1,” and “Sit Down for Dinner, Pt. 2,” piecing both songs into one. Part one, full of whining, haunting sounds, drags you down into Part two, which rises sharply into a fast tempoed, lyrically dependent track. The two were intentionally played one after the other, which deepened my appreciation for each part as pieces of a whole. Moving away from the newest release, they played through more songs from their 2007 release 23, before leaving the stage, the audience begging for more. Cheering erupted as they entered back on stage for a three part encore. Finishing with “Kiss Her Kiss Her” from Sit Down For Dinner, everyone in the crowd was singing along to the sharp lyrics that sailed around the venue floor. Leaving August Hall that night, it was clear to me that Sit Down For Dinner is my favorite Blonde Redhead album.
Article and Photos By Lucy Gleeson