TV Girl Disappoints on 6 ½ Year French Exit Anniversary Tour

Six years after the release of their debut album French Exit, indie pop band TV Girl has gained a cult following, due in large part to their success on TikTok. The hit song, “Lover’s Rock” was nothing short of an internet sensation, racking up 57.9 million views on videos using the song. 

To mark the six (and a half) year anniversary of French Exit, the band—made up of Brad Petering (lead vocalist), Jason Wyman, and Wyatt Harmon—set off on tour,  joined by opener Jordana. One stop on this tour was at Berkeley’s beloved venue, Cornerstone, and Berkeley B-Side was in attendance.

Based on the band’s viral popularity, my hopes for the show were relatively high. However, their performance that night can only be described as underwhelming. For one, the ambience in the room was strange and uncomfortable. 

The audience’s enthusiasm was only palpable when the band would play their most popular songs. I do not intend to discredit what TikTok has done for the music industry, but it was clear the young audience was not familiar with most of the band’s discography. This would ordinarily not be a problem, but audience members talked through Jordana’s beautiful, silky opening set, and through certain TV Girl songs. When audience members were not busy talking, you could not help but notice the sea of phones recording the entirety of the show. There was a general sort of disconnectedness between the audience and the show they were seeing. I do not fault the band for the audience’s conduct, but it did contribute to the overall experience, and highlights some of the drawbacks of viral TikTok fame. 

Though the band cannot be faulted for having a disengaged audience, they can be faulted for many other things.

For one, the unique sampling used in almost all of TV Girl’s songs does not translate well live. The very thing that makes their recorded work so unique turns into a great weakness live. Petering’s vocals become muddied, nearly incomprehensible between the various sounds of the sampling, and the hazy, bedroom pop instrumentation. When Petering’s vocals do cut through enough to understand, his dry, monotonous delivery does not escape notice. Each song is hardly distinguishable from the next. 

In spite of these things, there were still enjoyable moments, times where I caught myself swaying to the music. The dreamy shoegaze music was gentle and pleasing to the ear. Some of these standouts included “Bird Don’t Sing” and “Not Allowed.” However, the standout moments were few and far between.

TV Girl gave the audience a taste of their musical talent, but you were ultimately left wanting more.

If the underwhelming nature of the performance is not enough to turn you off of a TV Girl live show, perhaps Petering’s lyricism and overall stage presence are enough.

The biggest crime committed by TV Girl and writer/lead singer Brad Petering is the misogynistic tone each song takes. Every song seems to be about a girl who has wronged Petering in some form or another. It seems as though he blames women as a whole for his own loneliness. In fact, I cannot name a single TV Girl song that is not about a woman. The language used to describe these women and his experiences with them carries the same tone of hostility as online incels, and with that I point you to a very well-written article entitled, “TV Girl Has A Problem With Women.” I have not been the first to make these observations, but Petering’s obsession with women was on full display that night.

Petering’s self-pity and obnoxious victim complex are extremely unattractive. In the song “Hate Yourself”, which, granted, is so catchy it obscures its problematic nature, the lyrics are, “And how long will it take before you start to hate yourself and go straight into the arms of someone else, and I’ll just wait ’til those arms belong to me…” The entirety of French Exit is riddled with the same air of entitlement, cynicism, and pretentious indie boy nihilism. 

To that end, Petering’s overall stage presence was off-putting and uncomfortable as well. His long-winded monologues were just as problematic as his lyricism. One of the most egregious monologues  was about their TikTok fame, which Petering gloated about on numerous occasions. In reference to the song “Hate Yourself,” he proclaimed that the song ought to be the band’s next viral TikTok hit because it is full of the self-loathing our generation loves so much. Not only did this feel patronizing, but it felt inappropriate that Petering would attempt to capitalize on and make light of a global mental health crisis, assumedly faced by many of the adolescent audience members in attendance that night. 

TV Girl contrasted starkly with other bands who have achieved the same viral status. Where other bands/artists would express gratitude, Petering bragged. It was as though he credited himself with their success on TikTok rather than the group of trendy, angsty teens on the app who used their songs. Audience members were also told how fortunate they were to have the opportunity to buy TV Girl merchandise. 

If Petering was attempting to be funny, it was lost in translation. 

If you are in search of a live show where the band interacts in a fun and inclusive way with the audience, where the band respects and uplifts women, and one where the musicality is commendable, then a TV Girl live performance is not the show for you.

Now all that is left is to root for Jordana to dissociate from TV Girl and have the smashing hit career she deserves. 

      Article by Anna Armstrong

      Photos by Dorothy Eck