“Stuffed and Ready” for Cherry Glazerr

How long can you hold onto your teenage angst? More specifically, how long can you hold onto the image of being a teenage angst band?

If you’re looking for a quintessential rock sound, Cherry Glazerr is the band you’re looking for. Going to their sold-out show in SF’s August Hall on February 29, I could see and hear the rock aficionados in the audience. Namely from the reaction when they performed “Soft Like a Flower”, the crowd threw themselves onto each other and hair was whipping around everywhere. Not yelling, but spitting every lyric.

I came for both the sound and the message, as did the audience. Cherry Glazerr speaks nothing but relatability to their fans. It was obvious from the crowd that this was the case because when they performed “Told You I’d Be with the Guys” the floor erupted with cries of “I’m a lone wolf.” Whether it’s a call to the alternative or an unironic call out of their audience, people love to hear themselves from the mouth of Clementine Creevy. I found myself rocking out with the audience; I felt the niche call to my independence while spewing, “I’m a lone wolf!”

 The message of this band is both angsty and yearning; common feelings worthy of expression. And in Cherry Glazerr’s case, they are feelings best accompanied by guitar riffs and heavy bass. With their introduction of synth in their new album, I Don’t Want You Anymore (2023), a new dimension and depth have been brought to the band. This new sound was not lost on their audience or me, old and new fans alike, the Cherry Glazerr audience was still tuned in, aptly demonstrated by the band selling out the majority of tickets on their headlining tour, including this show at August Hall in San Francisco on February 29, 2024.

The way they transitioned between their old and new sound was seamless; I loved the shift from heavy vocals to more whispery lyrics. To go from moshing to swaying, I loved every moment of being in the crowd. The few moments I got to look up at the band from the crowd, I could see their passion for their music and love for their fans. The way Creevy engaged with us, I felt the artist-to-fan connection. Maybe it was something akin to a parasocial relationship, but it was really cool when she would call out for a response. I would call out as though I was having a bona fide conversation with her.

 Angst is a never-ending feeling. “Teenage” just happens to accompany it when it’s tied to a grungier sound. Teen or not, Cherry Glazerr brings out all the triviality associated with new relationships, or existing ones, as well as the feeling of belonging on this earth. Within the crows of this sound, there is a unifying feeling, yelling lyrics we were all raised by, reminiscing on not belonging, and the anthems that made up Stuffed and Ready (2019), Apocolipstick (2017), “Rabbit Hole,” and more.

Article and Photos by Heidy Barrera